How do you teach a 20 month old to be gentle with her younger cousins?

Question

My granddaughter hugs her little brother and cousins till she chokes them, or drags them down to the floor. How do we explain the loving is hurting and she needs to be gentle with the littler ones?

Answer 1

Just say gently and calmly "Gentle, gentle", or "not too hard" stuff like that.  If she keeps doing it, just gently pry her away lol:) It's good that she's this close to her cousins.  I barely know mine:(  Don't be angry at her.  She's only a baby.

Answer 2

When my daughter (17 mos.) is being rough I tell her to "be nice" while I take her hand and gently rub whatever I want her to "be nice" with. This usually works. After I let go, she will then gently rub the baby.

Answer 3

Don't expect so much from her so soon. My son is 22 months and he sometimes plays rough but I just make a huge deal out of it when he hits or something.. like, I'll act like it hurt my feeling so bad and say "Aiden! Why did you hit him? That HURTS and it hurts his feelings, too! That's mean!" he gets a sad face and says sorry and doesn't hit anymore (for the day anyway lol) the more you do this they'll soon remember every time and won't hit. I kind of feel bad because sometimes his little lip with quiver, but he knows that it is wrong now and remembers to stop for a while.