My now 17 month old toddler used to be a very sweet, gentle character as an infant. However in the last 2-3 months she has become incredibly boisterous and verging on destructive. She smacks everything/one - she thinks it's a game, and is laughing all the while. I've always modelled gentle hands but she no longer pays any attention, or if she does she gets immediately upset and cuddles me, as if to say she doesn't realise she's being rough. She also throws everything and thinks anything that breaks is funny. She is my first so I'd be very happy to be told this is an entirely normal phase that enough repetition and demonstration will see her grow out of, but it seems a bit excessive to me and I'm worried I've somehow encouraged this.
FWIW I'm not a pushover parent. I enforce boundaries and stick to them, I'm just not a shouty/scare my children into compliance sort of parent either.