14mth old hitting!! HELP!

[Funtimes]

DS has started hitting over the last few weeks.
He will hit both me and DF in the face, never anywhere else. I always tell him a firm 'no', but he either keeps doing it or laughs at me. It's always worse when he is tired, but also does it too i've noticed when he's not getting attention (I think it's jelousy of some sort)
Is this a phase!?:fingerscrossed: What way to approach this worked for you if your child also did this??
Im hoping to sort this out asap, well before bub #2 arrives I hope!

[Harlequin]

Ava's the same age and has been a little wretch like this for ages now.
She also likes scratching, pulling hair and biting... I think the biting is due to her molars cutting though.

I'm hoping once she's old enough to understand it hurts she will stop!

[sja]

I'd say a firm "no" and then put him in time out in his cot or on the floor on the other side of the room from you for a minute (whichever seems to upset him the most). If he's doing it for attention, you need to withdraw the attention and this should do the trick. This worked when my boy was trying to grab my glasses off my face. It didn't take long for him to stop, maybe two or three days. I think he was about 14 months at the time - he's 16mths now and never grabs at my glasses.

[Benji]

DS is 21 months and does this when he's bored / grumpy etc.

I would just try to draw as little attention to it as possible. Just say "no, we don't do that it hurts - oh wow look at the birdie outside!!" Focus on something else.

[Harlequin]

DJust say "no, we don't do that it hurts - oh wow look at the birdie outside!!" Focus on something else.

I got the funniest images in my head when I read that.
:laughing:

[OneBabyBoy]

My son is 14 months and I had a big problem with this. He hit everyone in the face, even other little kids, until a friend of mine offered a solution that seems to be working so far. She said that instead of just saying no I should say no and then offer him an alternative. So what I do now when he does it is I say a quick and firm "no"then I take his hand and rub it on my arm saying "gentle". And now he goes up to people and pats them like that lol but at least he doesn't hit them in the face (as much anyway).

[Benji]

I got the funniest images in my head when I read that.
:laughing:

:laughing: :laughing: Maybe I should've changed it to "tree"!

[Funtimes]

thanks guys! So far i've tried drawing the attention away from the hitting, putting him down on the floor as soon as he hit me and telling him no and in the past I did try teaching him 'gentle' after he hit me intead. Nothing is working yet. Maybe it will just take a little while I think, rome wasn't built in a day hey!? I'll keep going and HOPE that he learns to stop soon!!!! :fingerscrossed: Driving me batty!

[tickle]

Once he realises that there is no attention or benefit for him to be doing it, he will stop. They do it for your reaction, even if it is just your facial expression. When my two have displayed this type of behaviour in the past, I always just make sure that I tell them no and change the subject to something SO interesting they can't help but forget about what they were doing before. Then I make sure they get so much attention for the positive behaviour, it makes the negative behaviour not worth it. When there is no response, it isn't all that fun anymore!

When I have been desperate (with a 21 month old trying to hit a newborn), I have stood up, told him no and that we don't like playing with children that hit and walk away and stop playing with him. He worked out pretty quickly that it wasn't a positive or fun thing anymore.

I personally think that at 14 months they don't understand the concept of hurting someone and they have very little, if not any, reasoning skills. They only know about what benefits or doesn't benefit them, egocentric little buggers. :D

[Harlequin]

I find it incredibly hard not to react when Ava bites my arm. :D

I'm pretty sure when Ava's a little older she will understand better so I just keep saying no when she does it to me. She usually does her little cry then bites me again, though. Little wretch!