Dear MIRIAM: My toddler lashes out.Byline: Dr MIRIAM STOPPARD Dear Miriam WHAT should I do about my two-year-old son hitting my baby of five months? I'm at my wits' end. It's frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: and heartbreaking. Sometimes he's very nice to his sister, gives her toys, gentle hugs and pats but at other times he just hits her for no apparent reason. My mother-in-law says I should slap him every time he does it so he knows how it feels but I don't want to become a slap-happy mother. I DON'T know where your mother-in-law got her ideas from. Slapping him in retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and will send entirely the wrong message. Remove him from the baby immediately and tell him it's not OK to hurt her. Every time he lashes out, he wants attention. You need to teach him how to ask for attention appropriately and try not to get angry at him. Involve him in the care of the baby. Let him help put on her nappy or feed her. Give him positive reinforcement positive reinforcement, n a technique used to encourage a desirable behavior. Also called positive feedback, in which the patient or subject receives encouraging and favorable communication from another person. when he behaves appropriately and minimise negative attention when he misbehaves. Also, spend quality time with him without the baby. Believe it or not, it's a huge adjustment to share parents with a sibling. Imagine if your husband brought home another wife. |
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