When my baby was younger he use to feel everyone’s faces, as if he was exploring to see what we were all about. Now that he's older he is slapping peoples faces and hard enough it hurts. We grab his hands and tell him "No, be gentle". Sometimes he stops and other times he goes right back to doing it, so we start back at the beginning.
Your baby is the same age as mine! Sometimes he waves his hands at my face (trying to slap, but can't quite do it). I think that he's so young to listen. I've heard that babies this age understand "no", but don't always listen to it because of their age. I think you are doing the right thing, and the older he gets the better he will LISTEN to your "no's" Good Luck!!
C.
My daughter did a little of this when she was 10 months old, and I found that gentle was a big word for a young one! Using the words soft and nice word with her! Also, they were a little easier for her to say, so I think that may have helped a little too! It sounds like you are doing exactly what any mom would do! Just remember your patience and consistency, and I am sure your little one will catch on too!
MY Daughter Just turn one. She does the same thing. I find that when I say no to her she does it harder and gets mad that I'm telling her that she can't touch me like. I tell her to be gentle too but I think she doesn't understand that word. I just keep telling her that she has to be gentle with mommy and the dog because she does the same thing to him. One min. she being gentle with him the next she is pulling on his hair. When she does it some time I just gave her something else to do, gave her a toy. It works for me.
Hi D.,
My name is T. I have a 1 yearold son that did the same thing. When we took him in for his one year wellness check,i asked the doctor what i could do to stop him from doing this. The doctor said to tell my son in a very tone voice that "It was not nice to hit", then to put him in a play pen for one min.then explain to my son why he was put in there. At first i thought he was crazy, then my husband tried it and now my son does not hit. I hope this might help a little!
My baby used to do this too. He's 18 months now and still does it once in a while. What worked for him was more than grabbing and saying "no", we would take his hand and stroke our cheek and tell him "be soft" and then we would stroke his cheek either with his hand or ours and repeat it. It's not a guarantee but it teaches him what he can do instead of hitting. This too shall pass!
In addition to putting him down when he hits, try taking his hand in yours and gently rubbing it on your face saying "soft" or "gentle touch." I did this with my daughter (after getting the same advice from a friend) and she still comes up to me and softly touches my face. It's very sweet.
Keep up the good work. If he is starting to be soft, he is learning, just be patient and consistent. It will end sooner then you expect.
R.
D.,
Babies love attention and right now that is what your little boy is after. So, here is my suggestion. When he slaps so something uh-oh, that is so sad, and then put him down. When he cries, which he will, say Mommy only holds little boys who are gentle. Then pick him up and if he hits again start over. The key is to be consistant. I find that with my 3 year old this still works and it works with my two younger ones as well.
Good luck
He is old enough for time outs. I have 2 year old twins and this is always a problem but time out for 1 minute each year they are old. Hug or kiss is a good apology and if they are still in a bad mood after 1 minute they can have another. Be sure to tell your child in the moment "no hitting". If it goes on for a while your child may not be effectively expressing, I'm hungry, thirsty, tired, hot, cold, my teeth are growing and it hurts figure out their ailment and give them a consistent word. Be consistent even if it is an accident.
Best of luck
K.
Hi D.-
I agree 100% with Miranda. When your little guy hits you take his hand and gently stroke your cheek and say the word nice. If he does it again say no in a firm voice and put him down. The reason that he continues to hit and likes to hit is because he is getting a reaction from you and he doesn't know the difference between a postive one and a negative one! When you put him down and give him no attention for a minute (like a little time-out) he will not get the attention that he wants and hopefully stop. It is hard, but he will learn that it isn't ok! It is also important to really gush with enthusiasm if he touches your face the right way. Good luck.
Hi,
Telling her to be gentle and showing her to be gentle are 2 different things.
All my kids did the slapping thing and it wasn't until I showed them how to be gentle that it really clicked in their little brains.
I also said things like "slapping isn't nice. Kisses are nice" and then gave them some kisses. If the slapping continued I told them "If your not going to be nice mommy isn't going to hold you anymore" and then I would promptly put them down- without anger or mean words. That worked really well. They learned pretty fast that if they wanted cuddles and hugs with me they had to be nice.
M.
