My tow year old son has reasonly become violent with the animals we have and i dont know if that is normal or if i need to be worried there is something wrong with him is there anything i can do?
thank you all for the addvise and his general behavior is kicking and hitting the puppy and then there are times when he loves on them and huggs and cuttles with them so thank you agian for the information and i shall try it and let yall know
He is 2. He is too young to know how to handle a puppy. Never leave the two alone and show him how to pet nicely. I doubt anything is wrong, he will eventually start to be more kind to the animals.
It would help to know what his actual behavior is. This could be pretty normal, because kids between 1-3 are generally lacking in empathy and impulse control, are natural scientists (what will happen if I do this?), love to get reactions to things they try (like a small animal yelping or struggling to get away), and they take repeated corrections before they start to remember and restrain themselves.
While you're working this through, do your best to keep the puppy out of his clutches. I had to keep my daughter away from kittens for a few months between 1 and 2, but she eventually became extremely kind and tender toward animals.
That said, if your son seems to be acting out with real feeling, like expressing rage or resentment, or if he seems emotionless and cold, and if he tries to keep going even after you intervene, and if he has any other behaviors that seem alarming, then I'd be concerned. It's really hard to be precise without knowing more detail.
If it turns out he has some neurological deficit or emotional imbalance, talk to his pediatrician about it and ask for a referral to an appropriate specialist. Early intervention is better than late.
2-year olds can be really rough on animals so the two of them should never be left alone with each other. And I have found that I have had to teach my children, when they were toddlers, how to pet our cat and dog gently. They did try to hit our pets a number of times and they were known for trying to jump on our animals or picking them up in the most akward positions. I was always there with them so we had an awful lot of re-do's where they had to pet the dog or cat gently and me telling my kids how to treat our pets.
If your son is doing similar things, then it all par for the course and you are going to have to keep a close eye on him and teach him how to give gentle touches. If you are talking about your son being more violent (or rough) than this, then you may want to take a look to see if there have been any big changes in your life lately that maybe triggering some kind of aggression issues with your son.
Hope this gives you the information that you are looking for. Happy Thanksgiving.
mom, I hate to hear things like this as a real animal lover. Keep the puppy away from your son Mom. Young children have very little empathy, nor do they know about hurting and properly caring for even holding and handling animals at this age, no matter what you or anyone else tells them. He is way too young to care for a pet, let alone be around one with out complete supervision by an adult. THere needs to be consequences that are fast and swift when he hurts an animal like and immediate loud "no!" and firm tap on the hand, then remove your son from the situation and away from the pet. People think toddlers are so cute around puppies and kittens, but they dont always keep whats best for the animal in mind. Hope this helps
Worrying does no good. Discipline stops the behavior. One warning. Firm consequence on second warning. EVERY time. No soft pedaling on cruelty to animals. He's 2 and not too young for firm discipline. It sounds like he may be lacking it if he's even trying that.
I'm not sure what you mean by "violent". What specifically is he doing? Are these animals your pets, other pets, or other animals entirely? Is he really trying to hurt them or does he just not realize that what he is doing could hurt? Is he witnessing any violence in any way? In real life or on TV? Is he possibly being abused himself? A lot of toddlers will pull on tails or ears, or pick them up in such a way that could hurt them, and just not know any better. On the other hand, I've know of kids who kick animals, punch them, beat them, throw them down stairs, set them on fire, etc. and that can be a huge red flag. Some more details would be helpful.
If your son is simply getting too rough with them, then you need to correct him - tell him no, this is how we pet the doggy, gentle touch, etc. If he cannot or will not listen, then he and the pet should be separated until he can learn better control.
EDITED TO ADD: I agree that toddlers need to be supervised around pets at all times. I just remembered a story I heard once about a little kid (like 4 years old) that accidentally drowned a tiny kitten trying to give it a bath. It truly was an accident, the child actually thought they were doing a good thing by giving the kitten a bath, but if someone had been watching and paying attention, a tragedy could have been prevented.
Keep the puppy away from your son for awhile. Put your son in time out. I know my dogs verry well so one day when my nephew decided to be a little mean to the doggie, I let the doggie give him a little nip on the hand. My doggie would never hurt him or break the skin but it was enough to let my nephew know that he he messes with the dog the dog will mess with him.
oohhh the poor puppy! I love animals. I wonder why he is being so mean to the puppy. Usually little ones love puppies. I would be putting him in a time out and or taking his toys away. I also would not leave him in the same room alone with the puppy. I would sit and show him how he is supposed to be to a puppy, very gentle and nice.
