aggression

[Sails]

My nearly 3 year old has started hiting/pushing other children. He even hits his little friend. On monday he crashed a car across a little boys head at toddler gp. He had a bum on his forehead and was in a terrible state I was mortified! When we tell him off he just screams!! He hits me and his dad as well. All this usually happens when things don't go his way has to share etc. Sometime he hits himself and when I ask why he says I'm smacking (his name) because I'm naughty. At other times he is the lovliest sweetest most adorable little boy and I just don't know what comes over him. I need advise! HELP!!

Hi Sails, nightmare for you. I take it you guys aren't smackers? Can you help him verbalise his feelimngs more? When he starts going off on one, maybe help him to say why he is angry and validating his feelings, e.g. 'gosh you are very angry. I can see you are cross because xy and z happened'. 'Don't hit me, hitting hurts, tell me why you are cross'.

I suspect he'll grow out of it when his language improves and he finds another way of expressing his feelings. I guess to do that though, you have to acknowledege the way he feels and help him explain what his feelings are.