How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

My DS is 22 months and when he gets upset usually when he's not in the mood to get his diaper changed or bringing him inside after playing outdoors he will kick, smack, hit, pinch and sometimes bite. I can get so upset with him for him to do this to me that it brings me to tears. How do I handle this type of behavior, what works?

Please help

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

It's not exactly the same, but when my kids raise their voices at me I sit them in the "naughty chair" and then tell them I'm sorry they are upset but I won't talk to them until they can use their inside voice and polite words. Then I pull out a book and ignore them until they calm down, except to tell them to get back in the chair if they climb out, and then I talk to them once calm about how it's not nice to use their loud voice when talking to me and you have to treat people how you want to be treated. It's generally only my son that I have to use this on now, my daughter figured it out pretty quick.

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Right now we are in a different place...DS will get remorseful over his actions which offers a whole different set of challenges on discipline.

But...prior to this behavior when he would hit or attempt to bit we put him in time out, we repeated our selves over and over: use your words, tell us how you feel, hands are not for hitting, teeth are not for biting It does sink in eventually.

It's hard...looking at it we know they are frustrated and they lack the communication skills to cope through those feelings so they act out. It's that primal instinct and at the time it's happening it's beyond frustrating for us to. You fear they will take on these bad behaviors and the weight of the world is placed on your shoulders to teach them right from wrong...talk about stressful. What seems to work (in my limited experience) is patience, understanding and most importantly....consistency. Repeat your expectations over and over...give them words to use.

Message edited 9/9/2009 9:56:39 PM.

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Ugh I don't know but let me know what you do figure out as one of my 9.5 month old twihit me or pulle dmy hairns pulls my hair and smacks me in the face and laughs when I say no. His brother is so gentle andd has never hurt me on purpose

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

please let me know when you find out! I try to put cadi in the corner and she will not sit there... no matter what i do

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

I know it sounds lame but if you put them in a naughty chair or corner, you need to completely ignore them. They get more attention for negative behavior if you repeatedly address it.
When my child did it, I put them down immediately (after trying to not scream at them) & walked away from them.

Then we praised for things like being gentle,etc.

For the most part, the issue is communication. They can't communicate fast enough so it's how they vent their frustration. My sister had a world of difference in my niece after they taught her "I am angry", "I want", "I need"

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Sometimes it is so apparent he just cannot control his emotions. He just gets so mad and angry and he lashes out.

When it first happens we try to talk it out...

I ALWAYS try to explain to him how he must be feeling, ask him...try to get him to understand whats happening. ( I heard this somewhere...Ped maybe, a book....supernannny ....lol...who knows , but it works soometimes)

We will explain to him sternly we dont hit ( bite etc) and then say, you must be so mad cause of _____...or are you angry?, cause its ok to be angry , but we dont hit when we are angry.

Usually my son is very remorseful and he tends to run to us after he hits us, bites us etc for a Hug....it then becomes apparent that his emotions are just too much for him and we really try to explain that to him vs just punishing...but it aint easy....


If it is a few times in a row, he does it again etc, we either take away a toy he is playing with, or wants as a consequence or he goes in his room as a result.

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Time outs work for us (for now, at least).

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

When ds started to kick me during diaper changes & NO didn't work, I pinched the back of his leg & told him not to kick. I only had to do it once & he stopped kicking.

Now that he's 2, I will also smack his hand or his but if I need to.

I'm pretty sure no one else will agree but it works for me.

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?

Re: How would you discipline your toddler if he/she hits you, bites you and pinches you out of anger?