Who has dealt with hitting from their 3/4 year old?

[RedRobyn2021]

What have you done about it?

I just have no idea how to deal with it anymore, I just want her to stop doing it.

She's not hitting other kids, she hits me and her dad and her grandmother

Sometimes out of anger and frustration, other times like she thinks it's a joke but nobody else finds it funny

It's really really getting me down

I know it might seem counterintuitive, but do you do any rough and tumble play with her? We do a lot of rough and tumble with our 3 year old and he's very gentle with people and never hits. I feel like they need a safe outlet or wrestling, tickling, chasing, throwing etc where they know it's all play and they can stretch themselves and figure out their own bodies and strength. They have their own little frustrations to contend with so I'm sure it's therapeutic for him to have a good wrestle with us.

When he was about 1 and a half or so, he went through a short phase of trying to hit other children. I was hyper alert to it and he was thwarted every time. I'd catch his arm before he did and remove him from the activity to sit on my lap. Kept doing this until after a few weeks it became boring for him and he grew out of it.

@Yourethebeerthief I could certainly give it a try, I've been pregnant until last week with HG so haven't done rough and tumble for absolutely ages but I could probably manage it now

She has become so physical in the last 6 months, jumping off the sofa/window sill climbing over everything, she's become very boisterous

Have you tried reading her books about hitting? We have ‘Hands are not for hitting’, which is what they had at my son’s nursery. We’ve been reading it to him sporadically since he was 2. He’s 4 now and still does his occasionally out of anger/ frustration but he knows why he shouldn’t and doesn’t do it very often.

Yes I have that book and another one

I have just had a baby which has made it worse, but she was hitting before that. Some of it is definitely because I've been sick so much during the pregnancy.

I asked her if she's acting like this because she's upset about her sister and she just says she isn't and she loves her sister. But I don't see how it can't have made things more difficult, I'm breastfeeding and we've had issues with weight which has been really stressful, she's definitely picked up on that.

Aw it'll be the new baby as well. But yes, the fact that she's bouncing off the walls means she needs more physical play. Kids do need some roughhousing.

When she's lashing out and thinking it's funny she's trying to instigate some play but doesn't have a clue how to do it. Sometimes I think parents go in for too much chit chat with kids. Hands are gentle and all that sort of stuff is all well and good but really they just want to be flung about a bit. Nothing better than a good wrestle on the bed that has them nearly wetting themselves giggling and then collapsing in a heap with them for big deep cuddles when you're both exhausted from it all.

Sounds like a lot of energy. Does she get out of the house every day to walk/run/play? My eldest had boundless energy and we had to get out every day, even in the wind/rain etc.

Yes we have a dog, who we always walk off lead and she comes. We have been at home a lot lately but that's because of Christmas and I've just had a baby. But she goes out everyday, can't stand the thought of keeping her in.