What do you do instead of smacking?

[BellyBelly]

She's two and this sort of behaviour is common, especially with a new addition to the family. My daughter's behaviour went backwards when my son was born - she was harder than him! As they say, children who are not being 'lovely' are the ones needing more love.

The first thing I would do when I was angry was to take a deep breath and try not to act on impulse, it usually passes. If you can step away from the situation, let her know you're going to calm down and come back and talk about it so she also learns how to deal with her own anger also.

There are loads of PET (parent effectiveness training) articles in the parenting routines forum which also may help you a great deal, remembering she's going through a huge adjustment and some things take time. I'd recommend grabbing a copy of the PET book (which helps you deal with your childrens and your own problems better), Pinky McKay's book 'Toddler Tactics' or Margot Sunderland's 'What Every Parent Needs to Know.' These are all very gentle and effective books and will give you loads of strategies. Check out the Toddler Articles on the main site of BB too - lots by Pinky in the toddler & child section.

Remember.... this too will pass. I promise Also it's a good thing to remind ourselves that some of the behaviours we dislike (at times, or always LOL) in children are admired as adults, so try to see the good side to how she's expressing herself as she grows. This might be something like she knows what she wants, persistent, inquisitive, stands up for herself etc.