Sudden violence from son, really getting me down, help!

[MosmanMummy]

My son who's nearly three has suddenly taken his tantrums to a whole new level, hitting out at me really nastily. Yesterday he pulled out a big chunk of my hair, . He is generally a happy, lively, typical boy and isn't nasty or violent to his peers, just to me. It's really beginning to get me down, should I get more strict? Has anyone else experience this, it feels so personal. Any advice would be wonderful.

As a ttc'er i have no experience of this but didnt want to leave your post un answered. So i hope things get better xx

I have no experience of this as my DD is only 16mo and we are getting into the thick of thing WRT tantrums for her lol.

Do you think he could be frustrated in some way and is trying to communicate something to you but doesn't know what words to use or how to use them?

It sounds very upsetting for you and I hope you are able to get to the bottom of why he is doing this.

Absolutely normal. I wouldn't speak of it as violence as that makes it feel very emotive and as if there was something wrong with the child. I have known lots of children in my day and a fair few of them go through the tantrumming stage, hitting, kicking and biting. They just do. I did, my db did (but not my other two brothers), my dd did, my dn did (but not my other niece). It doesn't follow that they will grow up into violent and uncaring people. ALl the above (well, with the possible exception of myself) are lovely caring people. They just needed to go through that phase.

You need to show them that you can restrain them so that they can't hurt anyone, but it is probably useless to believe that practising any one method will make them miraculously stop tantrumming. He'll grow out of it. Just concentrate on noone getting hurt. Either put him in a place where he can't get at anyone or restrain his arms. But stay calm- you are big and strong and in control during what is for him a rather scary phase to pass through.