Mom's Editorial

It is really a nightmare looking at kids at public places and homes alike hitting their parents when angry or throwing a tantrum. I can only imagine the plight of the parents. But there comes a phase in most parents’ life when their child starts hitting them (exception to the rules are there too). One thing that most parents wonder is if they have failed at parenting following their child hitting them and/or others. Well, the good news is that you have not. And, that there is nothing wrong with your baby. He is just learning to grow up and it’s all but a part of life. Although hitting others whether during playful time or otherwise should never be okay, yet here are definitely things you can do to control this behavior. In this article, we will be talking about 5 ways to deal with an angry child.

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A blast of reaction is never a good idea

The aggressive behavior and the consequential hitting others in your toddler will subside with time. However, whenever such an episode occurs and you resort to blasting off at the little one, then instead of your child learning a thing or two from you, his behavior will only persist. It is in these times that parents have to be extra cautious about not losing their cool because if they do, the child will give you an equal and opposite reaction.

Be the safety manager around your child

When you are working on your child’s behavior, it is best to keep a watch every time he or she goes out to play with his or her friends. You might want to make sure that whenever your child is about to hit someone, you are only in the radar. That ways, when you intrude suddenly, at least you’ll help save the other kid from being hit. When that happens, you must speak to your child about why he wanted to hit the kid while playing and reason with him.

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Corporal Punishment should be avoided at all cost

One of our very natural reactions to when our kids hit us is to scold, shout at and punish them how reasonably we think we can. But when we are angry ourselves, we lose our own will to reason. Also, if you hit your child yourself when angry or punish him, this will leave him confused and he will wonder why you can hit him and he can’t! Having a respectful behavior towards your child may not instantly make things better, but gradually it will.

Have clear consequences for hitting

Whether your child hits you out of anger or otherwise, you should have clear consequences for it. Refer to the point above – no corporal punishment. Consequences can mean taking away their privileges like their favorite toy or game, their access to computer, giving them time out etc. And while you are at it, let them know calmly why you are doing this and that any aggressive behavior in the future will be dealt in the same manner.

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This may not show instant results in your child, but gradually they will begin to understand and mould their behavior accordingly.

Create a connection and closeness with your child

I know it goes pretty much without saying that every parent has a connection and closeness with their child naturally. But that’s not what we are talking about here. What we mean is that be close enough to your child that he shares his feelings with you. In a study it was found that children who resort to hitting their parents or those around them usually do so because of suppressed feelings.

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So try and build a connection and let him express his emotions and feelings out openly without him fearing you snubbing him or saying no. This is one thing that would really create a major change in your child.

What are your methods of dealing with an aggressive kid who hits you or others around? How did you cope? Let our readers know in the comments section below…