My 18month old wont stop smacking me and other children?

Question

hello my son is 18 months old, he can be a cute loving little boy but at the moment he is smacking and pushing other children. for example i took him to a playgroupp and with in he space of three hours he must of smacked each child at least twice and it just not on..its not fair on the other children and it just completely embarrases me.

he has not been taught to be aggressive, we don't smack him, i don't believe if you smack a child for smacking your teaching them anything other than smacking IS ACCEPTABLE WHEN IT ISN'T! then when i tell him off he just laughs at me!

so please do you have any suggestions they would be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

Pull him out and tell him that you don't like what he's doing and if he smacks you or another playmate again, he's going home! Explain that it's not nice and that it hurts. Friends play, not give each other owwies.

Answer 2

watch out what cartoons or dvds he is watching. my son did that at one point, and i realised that it was because he was watching cartoon network- which has lots of violence! children copy what they see. not all of them - my son's cousin, watches it all the time, but he never copied this behavior, my son did. but my son is very sensitive, and everything that happens around him affects him deeply. not everyone is the same.  i don't let him watch cartoon network anymore, and won't allow him to play violent games on computer either.

Answer 3

2 words.

NAUGHTY CORNER

give him some time out

Answer 4

show him how much it hurts