Emily Chan
Are you struggling to keep your toddler’s aggressive behavior at bay? When you’re a parent, seeing your sweet, angelic baby hitting another child can be scary and upsetting.
It’s natural to panic and yell, but those are exactly the kinds of actions you want to avoid. A TikToker who goes by the handle @biglittlefeelings is helping parents arm themselves with the knowledge and tools they need to break the pattern of hitting.
Getting your toddler to stop swinging their fists does not involve threatening, shaming, or coming in hot with a stern “no!”
When you blow up or lose your cool in front of your kid, a few things will happen, and neither are the desired outcomes.
For a toddler, a big reaction can feel exciting and fun. It gives them the attention they crave from their parents. Therefore, you might be accidentally reinforcing the behavior to occur more often rather than preventing it.
Or it can make your already emotional toddler even more volatile and temperamental. It’s like adding fuel to the fire.
When you go in the opposite direction and do nothing about your toddler’s tendency to hit, they will learn that hitting is okay.
As adults, we can recognize what we’re feeling in the moment, take a step back, and redirect the feelings using our coping skills. That could look like talking it out or going for a walk around the block.
The brains of toddlers aren’t fully developed yet, so they don’t have the ability of emotional regulation as we do. As a result, they lack the skills and insight to navigate their emotions.
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