2 yr old smacking mum and dad

[Snacks]

When Natty hits me I make sure I hold her hand and look into her eyes with my 'cross' face and say, 'Don't hit Mummy'. I wait for it to sink in - there are usually tears. After a few seconds we have a cuddle. I *think* this is working, but she is still very young and gets pretty upset when I'm cross with her. But I think eye contact is very important, and that sort of communication is often more effective than verbal IMO. GL with it.

[Olive]

we tell sophie that we dont hit in this house, she hurt mum/dad and you need to say sorry, she kisses us straight away, she get told if she does it again she will sit on the floor by herself (mini time out)

[mrsmac]

Thank heavens other peoples 2 yr olds are doing this too! Riley hits me when he is cranky and I have just been saying "no hitting" and trying to get him to apologise. He hits DD2 the most and I have been getting quite angry with him about that.

[deancey]

OMG wow I feel so much better knowing that Jordan just isnt a feral but that its quite normal for his age.
TOnight we did time out in the corner of the hallway and that seemed to work.
I will def try the firm words "NO we dont hit" which I have been doing but maybe coupled with time out he might get the message.
I hope he grows out of this phase soon, its awful.

[Zee]

Tracey- Hun I think it comes with the age... DD is horrible for this and laughs at you when you tell her no and that its not nice.

I am so over it and will be doing some things suggested in this thread.

[Charlyfrog]

I agree with the firm, "No don't hit" coupled with moving away from your little one. imo I wouldn't smack back as I agree that that would confuse and reinforce the hitting thing. When DD#2 hits our face (she is only 1 atm) I say,"No, we don't hit" than I take her hand and say, "Softly" as I gently stroke my face with her hand. It's on the way DD#2 also recently went through a biting phase.....yeowch!! And after moving away from her and saying firmly, "No don't bite" consistently, she has actually passed through that stage! *phew*

[Alyssas_Mum]

I too agree with the stand up and move away, maybe explain to them that it hurts your feelings.

I think this is really one situation where smacking them or hitting them back doesnt work because your saying dont hit its not nice and then you hit them back.
My DD sometimes hits me (not all the time, its an occasional thing) but i tell her straight away that you never ever hit anyone and when she hits me it hurts my feeling (sometimes with a fake cry) and i seem to get the sympathy and 'im sorry mummy'
As much as i just wanna smack her back sometimes so she knows how it feels its def in my opinion the wrong way to go.

Good luck to all you mums, i hope they stop hitting soon.