Little Sebastian is spoiled. I'd lie or be in some state of utter denial if I said otherwise. He is our miracle baby, the first grand baby on my side and the first boy grand baby on my husbands side. So he gets attention....ALOT of attention. His toddler to toddler interaction is next to nill since he is cared for by my parents. I have my Godson and his little sister who are close in age to Sebastian and I also have 2 small nieces through my husbands side. When we see them (maybe once a month, for the weekend) he has kids to play with that are his own age.
Toddler interaction gives me so much anxiety. Really you'd think I'd be happy that he is around other kids his age, but I dread it. I dread being the mom of that "spoiled kid". Sebastian is such a sweet boy though. He is so loving and affectionate. But when he is with my nieces, he tends to bully. Not sure if bully is the right term. He has bitten on several occasions and is always pushing, pulling ears or hitting. I think these are all "normal" things toddlers do as they learn to interact, but I can't help but feel embarrassed when he does these things. I am not a spanker so I usually try and pull him to the side, and let him know that we don't hit others, but other than that, I have been at a loss for what to do.
I was looking for advice on this subject and came across an article that I thought was very helpful. In it, they described aggression, hitting and biting as a normal part of a toddler's development (to some degree). But just because it is normal per se, doesn't mean I think its OK, because it plain and simple is not OK. Sebastian will always be taught that aggressive behavior is unacceptable and there are other ways to express his feelings.
from the article, I found these What to do suggestions helpful:
from the article, I found these What to do suggestions helpful:
Follow up with logical consequences.
If your child gets into the ball pit at the indoor play center and
immediately starts throwing the balls at other kids, take him out. Sit
down with him and watch the other kids play, and explain that he can go
back in when he feels ready to join the fun without hurting other
children. Avoid trying to "reason" with your child, such as asking him,
"How would you like it if he threw the ball at you?" Toddlers don't
possess the cognitive maturity to be able to imagine themselves in
another child's place or to change their behavior based on verbal
reasoning. But they can understand consequences.
Keep your cool. Yelling, hitting, or telling your child he's bad won't get him to curtail his behavior — you'll just get him more riled up and give him examples of new things to try. In fact, watching you control your temper may be the first step in his learning to control his.
Set clear limits. Try to respond immediately whenever your toddler is aggressive. Don't wait until he hits his brother for the third time to say, "That's enough!" He should know instantly when he's done something wrong. Remove him from the situation for a brief time-out (just a minute or two is enough). This is the best way to let him cool down, and after a while he'll connect his behavior with the consequence and figure out that if he hits or bites, he ends up out of the action.
Discipline consistently. As much as possible, respond to each episode the way you did last time. Your predictable response ("Okay, you bit Billy again — that means another time-out") will set up a pattern that your child will recognize and come to expect. Eventually, it will sink in that if he misbehaves, he'll get a time-out. Even in public, where you may be mortified by your child's behavior, don't let your embarrassment cause you to lash out at him. Other parents have been there too — if people stare, simply toss off a comment like "It's hard to have a 2-year-old," and then discipline your child in the usual fashion.
Teach alternatives. Wait until your toddler has settled down, then calmly and gently review what happened. Ask him if he can explain what triggered his outburst. Emphasize (briefly!) that it's perfectly natural to have angry feelings but it's not okay to show them by hitting, kicking, or biting. Encourage him to find a more effective way of responding — by "talking it out" ("Tommy, you're making me mad!") or asking an adult to help.
Make sure your child understands that he needs to say he's sorry after he lashes out at someone. His apology may be insincere at first, but the lesson will sink in. The passions of toddlerhood can overtake a child's natural compassion sometimes. Eventually he'll acquire the habit of apologizing when he's hurt someone.
Reward good behavior. Rather than giving your child attention only when he's misbehaving, try to catch him being good — for example, when he asks to have a turn on the swing instead of pushing another child out of the way. Praise him lavishly for verbalizing his desires ("That's so great that you asked to have a turn!") and, in time, he'll realize how powerful words are. Then give him a time-in by offering to push his swing or playing with him afterward.
Limit TV time. Cartoons and other shows designed for young children can be filled with shouting, threats, even shoving and hitting. Try to monitor which programs he watches, particularly if he seems prone to aggressive behavior. When you do let your child watch TV, watch it with him and talk to him about situations that arise: "That wasn't a very good way for him to get what he wanted, was it?" (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 2 watch no TV at all.)
Provide physical outlets. You might find that unless your toddler gets a chance to burn off his abundant energy, he's a terror at home. If your child is high-spirited, give him plenty of unstructured time, preferably outdoors, to let off steam.
Don't be afraid to seek help. Sometimes a child's aggression requires more intervention than a parent can provide. If your child is unusually aggressive for more than a few weeks, if he seems to frighten or upset other children, if he attacks adults, or if your efforts to curb his behavior have little effect, talk to your child's doctor, who may in turn recommend a counselor or child psychologist. Together you can determine the source of the behavior and help your child through it. Remember, your child is still very young. If you work with him patiently and creatively, chances are that his pugnacious tendencies will soon be a thing of the past.
I guess my reading made me realize that we were sort of headed in the right direction in trying to steer Sebastian in the right direction. It also made me realize that just because Sebastian is loved/spoiled, does not mean we are bad parents. It doesn ot mean that our love is translating into him wanting to hurt others. I learned that he indeed is probably just learning and testing his interactions and as long as we are diligent in teaching him right from wrong, we will be OK.
source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_aggression-hitting-and-biting_11550.bc
