Our mum's group has been together since the kids were 6 weeks old - they are now nearly 2. One little girl has been a bit physical since she was about 8/9 months old - bit pushy, grabbing hair etc. The last couple of months she seems to have grown out of it.
In the past 3 months another girl has really started being quite rough. At first it was the usual pushing and testing the boundaries but now it seems really quite nasty. Today she pulled my daughter's hair and threw her to the ground for about the fifth time in past couple of months and another girl got her hair pulled and eyes gouged. To me this is getting out of control.
When the girl does these things her mum always disciplines her and today she took her away to have a word but of course because they aren't quite 2 they are still in that learning stage. Is this normal behaviour or going past that? I know most kids go through hitting/biting/pushing stages but this just seems so random. She's not doing it because she wants a toy, but just because she can do it.
I haven't been through it myself, but my friend's son was very aggressive from the time he was about 18 months to well over 2 years old. So much so that she didn't want to take him to play group, and I really didn't enjoy being around him.
But now, at 3, he is a much nicer, sweeter kid. He apparently is still quite "alpha" in personality, liking to dominate, but he is not nearly as violent and aggresive in exercising that personality trait.
So I think its mainly an age thing. I know my friend was absolutely tearing her hair out and it really upset her. Its hard on everyone- the parent of the aggressive child and the other kids and parents who have to put up with it!
I agree that it is hard on everyone because I really feel like the mum is doing what she can - well nearly everything. If it was my daughter doing it i might be a little more forthcoming with time-out/talkings to etc. but still... it is so hard. Eye gouging though - that was just awful to watch!
When is enough enough?
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