My Baby Has Started Hitting

My little guy is almost 14 months old. In almost all aspects of my life, he is pure joy. I could do without the sleepless nights we are still having, and the screaming, but for the most part, I love him just like he is. Except for one little nasty habit he has started. Hitting. Really? I don’t remember either of my other two doing this at this age. Maybe time heals all wounds and I have just forgotten? But, in all seriousness, I felt kind of sad about it, and have been wondering what to do. After all, he … Continue reading

Why Your Toddler Hits

Whether your toddler regularly hits you or other children, the behavior can be quiet disconcerting. You may feel as though other parents see your child as a problem child. But the reality is that hitting is not an unusual behavior for many toddlers. And sometimes the usual discipline methods, such as time outs may not seem to work. When a toddler hits, it is important to be consistent about the behavior not being acceptable. At the same time, it can be helpful when you understand some of the motivation behind the hitting behavior. He may be curious about other people … Continue reading

Curbing the Gimmies

Is your toddler or preschooler having a bad case of the gimmies, where she wants every toy, snack or object in the store. Shopping with a young child can be tough, especially if the child has a melt down whenever he can’t have everything he sees. Here are some techniques for curbing the gimmies and setting limits. The both of you will be happier for it. Delayed gratification is tough for a toddler or preschooler. They don’t have the emotional maturity to handle all of the temptation, and they don’t understand why they shouldn’t have something. One way to cut … Continue reading

Supernanny Methods Don’t Work for Better Behaved Toddlers

I have blogged a few times on my own experiences with strong willed toddlers and my take on disciplining young children. I could essentially sum up my view in three words: consistency, clarity of expectations and patience. I feel that often times parents own discipline issues stem from their lack of clearly communicating the expectations and then consistently reinforcing the expectations with tangible consequence that, preferably, fit the crime. And of course we all need to be patient–we are after all dealing with toddlers whose tendencies are to test and try boundaries. This is one reason I’m not a fan … Continue reading