Julie
Subject: will be 3 in Feb
Question: my grandson will be 3 in Feb, is in a mothers day out program two days a week and is on the trail as of today. He hits the other children and evidently is the only one there who does. The teacher told my daughter this am that he is on trail; understandably of course. He has a new baby sister but has been a handful even before she was born. He adores her and we haven’t seen jealously to speak of. He has trouble talking and is a bit hard to understand. We all adore him and love him so much. I have noticed that he hears “NO”! and correcting much of the time but what else can you do when he is always getting into stuff and not minding?
He also throws his dish in the floor alot?
He spends alot of time inside because my daughter is exhausted but she pays alot of attention to him. Maybe he is bored? HELP. thanks so much, Julie
Answer: Dear Julie;
Sounds like he is frustrated. You mentioned he has a hard time communicating. Has he been evaluated by a professional for any type of developmental issues?
Also, he probably needs assistance identifying his feelings and developing a feeling vocabulary. I suggest getting books and games which do just that. You can find books for children his age which have feelings on faces and the words to match them. Teach him how to say what he is feeling (using his words) rather than hitting.
Also, make sure there is no one in his daily routine who might be smacking him and therefor teaching him the way to get what he wants is to hit someone. There is no greater reinforcer than just that.
Best Wishes!
M Kay Keller
