how long will it take to stop ds smacking please?

[deaconblue]

He's 2 and we started using a kind of "time out" method to deal with the smacking that has become a problem over the past three weeks. I have successfully reduced tantrums to almost non-existence in a week after a super crack down, how long do you reckon it will take for a reduction in smacking?
I am impatient and that people will think ds is horrible when he keeps whacking them.

It's horrible isn't it? I almost stopped going out with my ds at about the same age when he used to hit. If I heard another child crying, I always assumed it was my ds that had caused it (sometimes it wasn't him!). I'm trying to think how long it lasted for. I'm sure it seemed ages at the time but was probably a few months.

I remember having chats with friends about it. The general consensus was that most of them do it at some point and, as mums, all we wanted was to see the parents trying to deal with it and apologise. It really annoyed us if parents just ignored it- which obviously, you are not.

My ds is now 6yrs and generally knows right from wrong. So those early lessons are def worth it. Of course, when they are teenagers we will wish all we had to worry about was that they hit someone in the park!

I know exactly what you mean. he's still lovely when it's just us but add another child into the equation, particulary if it is one of a similar age, and he's a nightmare. So tempting to just stay at home all day. I do always apologise to the other parent and make him say sorry too (although I'm sure he doesn't mean it yet), out of politeness and to get him into the habit of it. He hit his baby sister for the first time yesterday too but that was when I'd been on the phone for ages so I think it was my fault in a way for ignoring him.

Yes, my ds would be worse with children the same age.

You are doing all the right things. Well, you are doing what I did, so it must be right!

my 14 months old sometimes hits his 5 year old sister (the only person I have seen him hit). he never hits his 6 year old brother - interestingly. but anyway, we say "be gentle with Naomi" and I stroke my daughter's head and she and I stroke his head. it sometimes works....