Hitting - Euclid,OH

He's too little for wrestling. And there's no reason he should be hitting anyone ever. I would nix it until he's older and then get him into karate. When I say not to let him wrestle, I don't mean not to play with him physically. Change the game so he can run to you catch him as he knocks you over, but then sometimes he can't knock you over. You get him, but sometimes let him get away. Make sure that he knows he can't just ram into you and knock you over without warning, and no hitting, slapping etc... You set the boundaries. This is physical enough at this age will teach him some valuable skills about boundaries and strength. And I make sure he also knows that this is a game we play with Mommy or Daddy, not with other kids.

Good luck

There is a BIG difference between wrestling and hitting / punching/ kicking / biting / eye gouging/ headbutts/ full body slams.

So the moment he does any of the above... wresting is over, and a timeout ensues (just like as if he walked up to another kid or adult and hit them for no reason).

Wow, I have a little boy (19 months) and he loves to wrestle too- but I would never think about telling him to stop!
He's a boy and they naturally love to expel energy and play physically.
What I would do is talk to him whenever he's playing/wrestling about proper times and places to play rough.
My son knows that "rough time" is to play with daddy only- and we don't hit other people or play rough with them because they could get hurt. Give him a safe outlet and time/place to play- and let him have fun. :)
And yes, once he's older get that boxer into a class! :)

Allowing a child to wrestle is like teaching a puppy to fight. It develops aggression. They can't tell what's appropriate and what isn't. He needs another outlet for his energy .I used to have one of my boys run around the pool table while I counted, and when he got older, I switched to ABC's. 26 times around the table and he was ready to settle down! Tug is another acceptable outlet, or playing catch. They can't catch, so they spend alot of energy running. You really don't want to teach him to fight.

I have to agree with the others. All forms of wrestling need to stop. We all make this mistake once and awhile. Even after 24 years of daycare I made this mistake the other day. I have a new child and he obviously plays like that. He started poking me and saying tickle tickle. Before I knew it we were both swatting each others hands and laughing. Only in just a few minutes he was doing it too hard. I had to put a stop to it and tell him why we can't play that way. The next day he tried it again and I told him absolutely not and why. He hasn't done it since.

hitting and wrestling are two different things...grab his hand and firmly say, NO hitting, every time he starts to hit...if you want him to box, get him some gloves and a punching bag...it's a no-no to hit you or anyone else

Don't let him be rough in the first place. He doesn't understand where the line is, so you have to draw it for him. No more wrestling until he understand that he can play without hitting.