My ds (15mo) has been doing this for a month or two when constrained to do sth he really doesn't want. But this week he started doing it at babygroup (with a rattle) to other children. Not in anger though. When told NO ultra-firmly he just changed child and did it again, more than once, until bodily restrained from running around. I took his rattle away and the victims mum seemed to think that was a bit harsh. With the next child, he banged him on the head with a rattle, and then just as we were doing the No & Sorry routine he grabbed the little boys face in his fingers and twisted it. It was just awful. A few people have said it's a phase..??
The strange thing is he is also very loving, goes round giving children and people he doesn't know hugs wherever we are, feeds food to children and adults he barely knows, gives them things, drags adults over to crying children etc.
The hitting / scratching thing towards children and their mums isn't in response to any violence, in fact it often starts by face-stroking and then suddenly turns violent, almost like curiosity to see what will happen. And he often laughs. He often tries to get away with doing it to me in fun too, or, having done it viciously & got a reaction he starts laughing as if to try turn it into a joke, so he definitely knows it's wrong.
When he pulled my hair really hard recently i pulled his back (gently). He bawled, must have been from the shock but didn't do it again. A while ago he had been biting me (in fun) when breastfeeding but really hard, to get an effect. Eventually, on a friend's advice, I bit him back very gently but firmly. Again, bawled but no repeats! Can't exactly do that with face scratching and throwing though, and i don't fancy being a smacking mum as the idea is to get the message across that hurting is wrong.
Any tips?