2 year old keeps hitting us...

[imarobot]

Posting for some advice if anyone has any! DS is 2 years and 7 months and he keeps hitting us, often quite hard. This only started to appear since starting nursery but he's recently moved up to the older room with up to 3.5 year olds and it's gotten much worse. He is a bit behind for his age due to some health issues which have now been corrected so he's slowly catching up. But is this normal for his age?

Every time I make sure I'm straight faced and calmly remove him from the situation, change my tone of voice and tell him that "hitting is not nice behaviour, we don't hit". Put him in the time out spot for him to calm down or try and think about it, but he often just walks off laughing, tries to hit again or goes off to play with something.

I've tried my best acting skills and got upset in front of him to let him know that it hurt me. Again half the time no reaction or "oh no, mummy. You ok?" But will then smack me in the face a few minutes later!!

I've tried giving him lots of one to one attention taking him out of the day by himself several times, DH has done the same and it's made no difference.

Is this just a phase? I'm currently sporting a black eye from a zebra attack at the weekend

Firm NO and naughty step every time fixed mine. No chatting. His hitting phase was earlier though, like 18 months, so it's probably harder at 2. Keep at it!

My dd is 2yrs 9m and she's started hitting too. She's also biting,pulling hair and scratching too which I think she's mimicking from pre school and she's never seen it at home. I've tried everything and she just laughs and doesn't take a telling off seriously. I don't know what to do about it either. None of my other kids have done this so this is all new to me.

My lo has just started this and has picked it up from nursery as they have openly told me she’s usually usually good but has seen another do it... firm no most of the time but ignored when out and distracted because she cries and screams when I say no

Naughty step works for our 2 year old BUT - only after he realises we meant business. No getting up from the step or laughing/singing etc, took a couple of times to get it right and every time he got up, the time reset. Then we say the hitting is not nice and make him cuddle and say sorry to whoever he has done it to.

It doesn't completely stop the hitting but he hates being taken away from his toys/tv/whatever he is doing. We have made temporary naughty steps at the park or out and about too when he has needed it!

Should also say he gets a warning before the step - otherwise he would never be off it!

Agree to saying a simple firm NO for any behaviour that you don't want them to do.
My DH used to waffle on and explain too much and I think the impact was lost sometimes.

My son went through this at about 20months, we just stuck with a consistent firm "no", it took him about 3 weeks to a month to get out of it.

I think they all go through it, How long has it been going on for? I would keep my eye on it if it's getting progressively worse. What do they do in nursery when he does it?

DD went through a phase of this but much younger, so she didn't really grasp the naughty step. I (or whoever she had hit) would let out a quick squeal usually "OUCH", loudly, then turn away from her.
Usually the loud ouch noise would make her cry a little bit out of shock then she would try and kiss it better. The phase didn't last long with that method!
On the other hand my sadistic little brother would laugh when we used that same method so I guess it very much depends on the child!

@SconeofDestiny oh god same DH is explaining why and asking why do you do that she doesn’t even talk sentences it drives me nuts because I feel we should be consistent