getting down to his level and firmly saying 'no' right at him usually gets the message across, he needs to know this is not acceptable and 'we do not use our hands to hurt people' is another one people say to little ones who are hitting. it could be a phase born out of frustration he is trying to do so much and wants to know and control everything around him- his expectations far outweigh his abilities and he could be lashing out because he fells like he isn't in control. could you give him little tasks to do? just small things like put something away and when he does it really up the praise keep things as positive as you can, he lives to please you and will do anything to gain your approval and attention, even if hitting gets him negative attention he still has it and you at that moment! show him that positive attention is so much nicer and he will seek that instead. get him a doll to practise being gentle and show him how nice it is to give cuddles and be kind- with lots of praise even for the smallest effort. has anything changed in his life that could have triggered this off? give him choices too- like in what he wants for lunch or which top he wants to wear- maybe let him choose between two or three things so he is not overwhelmed. relax the 'terrible two's start alot earlier than the title implies and goes on longer too! try and nip certain things in the bud and set the boundaries early so he knows the limit- he may rebel but he appreciates it really and will settle down. tell him you are not listening to him while he is behaving like that and make a point of ignoring the little things (you can work on that later!) when he realises you are not giving him the attention he wants he'll soon stop when he has calmed down find something however small to give him praise for and he'll get the message. make sure you end the day with a big cuddle and point out all the lovely things you have done together that day and how happy you are to be with him! hope this helps x

Hello, could any body help? I have an eighteen month old boy who is very active. He is up and down the flat all the time and fights. Even on the buses or on the way, he will try to hit people as we pass them. What should i do to help him stop especially the fighting?