To stop a toddler hitting, firstly, have a rule about hitting.
Children’s brains think in pictures. So if you say ‘don’t hit!’ Your child has to imagine themselves hitting and then try to picture themselves not hitting.
So word it positively -have a rule like…

  • Being angry is ok but keep your hands to yourself.
  • Keep people and property safe.
  • Say what you’re feeling with words.

That way your toddler can picture what it is they need to do.

Secondly, help your toddler really understand what they can and can’t do.
Several times a day ask lots of questions about it.

  • So… what’s the new rule about hitting?
  • What can you do if you’re upset?

Yes, you can tell us how you’re feeling.

  • What should you do if you feel like hitting?

Yes, you need to keep your hands to yourself.

  • What can you do instead?

Yes, that’s a good answer; you could say how you feel.

  • Is there anything else you could do?

Yes you could hit a pillow –that’s ok

  • Why’s hitting a pillow ok?

Yes, it means you’re not hurting anyone or breaking anything.

  • What would happen if you try to hit Mummy?

Yes, Mummy will stop you by holding your arm.

  • And if another boy or girl try to take what you’re playing with, what can you do?

Yes, you can say in a loud voice-‘Please give that back, I was playing with that.’ Shall we practice that now?

  • Is it ok to hit them?

No, that’s right we have to keep people safe.

And finally: If your toddler hits, get them to make up for it by caring for the person they hurt.
So if they hurt another child, don’t shout at them or send them away. Instead, give lots of attention to the child who was hit.

  • Get your child to go and fetch a damp cloth to put on the hurt
  • Or find a toy or something to cheer the child up.
  • They may like to stroke the child gently or pat them.
  • Or they may like to say sorry.

Afterwards, talk to your child calmly. Ask what they forgot to do. Ask what they need to remember next time. And do a role play where you pretend to be the other child, and they respond the right way. And then move on, and don’t mention it again.

So to stop your toddler hitting 3 tips are:

Trying to stop sibling rivalry can feel like an endless battle. In some families, children’s fighting and arguing can ruin every evening and weekend. With parents treading on eggshells worried about the next outburst.

Siblings bring out the worst in children. A child may be mature, well behaved and exemplary at school – or when you take them out on their own. But put them in a room with a sibling and all hell can break loose, with the child acting like a cross between a screaming banshee and a vicious demon.

Sibling rivalry is one of the big issues when parents come to me to seek parenting help. Many parents are both embarrassed and appalled – in equal measure – by their children’s behaviour. Which appears ten times worse when they go out in public and are under the scrutiny of friends, family members or complete strangers.

It is useful to understand two very important truths. Firstly almost every child will feel jealous of a sibling at times. It’s a normal, natural emotion, and when you have two or more children, sibling rivalry is pretty universal. It’s also true that a big proportion of sibling arguments is to get your attention. Nothing feels quite as good as having your parent side with you and tell your sibling off. Now that’s power!

So what can you do to stop sibling rivalry?

1. Teach children to sort out their own arguments

Remember children need to learn how to communicate with each other and sort out conflicts. So, if your children argue or fight, insist they talk to each other and work out a solution. But it’s important to show them how to do it. It’s ok for you to act as a mediator, as long as you don’t take sides or try to make suggestions. Next time your children have a big argument, get each child to talk, one at a time, to explain their point of view, give them a chance to reply to their brother or sister, once again, without any interruptions. Then challenge them to work out a win / win solution that they’re both happy with.

2. Stay out of sibling arguments wherever possible

Explain to the children that from now on, you’re not going to get involved. Try to ignore arguments and don’t go running to sort them out. Once you’ve taught the children to sort out arguments, expect them to resolve their own disagreements. Tell them they’re welcome to argue but if the noise is disturbing you, send them to a squabbling place (usually one of the children’s rooms) You may like to ask them just to tell you what how they decide to resolve it when they’re finished.  

3. Praise your children when they get on

Most parents give their children lots of attention when they’re arguing or fighting and say nothing when they play well together. As the saying goes, energy flows where attention goes – or what you pay attention to, you get more of. So, always notice and comment when the children are getting on well. That way they hear lots of praise for being kind to their sibling, sharing, sorting out arguments and playing nicely together, and they begin to get on better, because you’re constantly providing them with ‘evidence’ that they’re friends and team mates.  

4. Be careful not to side with one child or treat one sibling as the favourite.

It’s not OK to treat one child as the ‘devil child’ and one as the ‘angel.’ Older children may be stronger, but younger children often wind the older child up. A lot of sibling rivalry is where the child who is treated as the ‘favourite’ is given rough justice by their jealous sibling. Treat your children equally. Give each child the time and attention they need and notice and comment on their good points. So they feel good in their own skin, and don’t need to put their sibling down to feel better about themselves.

5. Try to spend 15 minutes’ quality time with each child every day.

That way each child can predict some time with each parent and get your undivided good attention. If you can’t give them 15 minutes, give 10 or even 5 minutes. If you don’t give each of your children a daily chunk of your undivided attention and where you’re happy and playful, they’ll fight for your bad attention. Because your bad attention is better than none.

6. Empathise with your children when they’re struggling.

Really listen to your child’s frustrations. Siblings can be so hard to deal with. However, don’t try to sort it out for them. Remember your job as a parent is to help your child develop the skills to cope with life. So, empower your child to tell their sibling about their frustrations and work on solutions.

Gradually, if you put these steps into practice, you’ll find your children get on much better. You’ll find you can improve the peace and harmony at home, stop sibling rivalry (most of the time) and you can go out (or even on holiday with another family!) without being worried about your children letting you down with their constant bickering and arguments.

  1. To make up a new rule about hitting, such as keep your hands to yourself.
  2. Ask questions to help your child understand what they can and can’t do,
  3. And if they do hit get them to make up for it by caring for the person they hurt.

If you found this useful, visit my website parent4success.com and sign up for my ‘Video Tips for Raising Toddlers,’ and you’ll get my latest video blogs sent straight to your inbox.

If you need more than three tips on this – or you’d like to discover the secrets you need to have happy well-behaved, children – please contact me by clicking here. You can arrange a free 20-minute (no obligation) chat to find out if working with me personally (by phone, Skype or face-to-face) would help you and your family. Contact Elizabeth

child behavioural expert
The author:

Elizabeth O’Shea is a parenting specialist child behaviour expert and one of the leading parenting experts in the UK.

Need help now? Ready to explore whether investing in some tailor-made parenting sessions would be right for you and your family? Book your FREE 20-minute call with Elizabeth here