What to Do When Your Child is Hitting

Understand the unseen fears that drive a child's aggression and stop it using nurturing supportive strategies. Emily and Kathy address a parent question from the surprised parent of a child who has started hitting out at other kids. This child, like many others who lash out, has not grown up around hitting or seen it modelled elsewhere, so the parent is confused about where the behavior is coming from and how to address it. Listen in as Emily and Kathy share how a current situation can activate a child's past fears or scary experiences and propel them into a "fight" mode that feels protective. Learn how to reach under those hurts and heal them so that the behavior stops, without any harsh words or punishments. If you have a child who is hitting or lashing out, discover how to address hitting, kicking or other aggressive behaviors with the support and lightness it takes to make it stop. Tune In To Hear: Why a child's aggression does not mean that they are bad kids, but is purely a symptom of their emotional system flipping into a protective state. Looking at changes in your circumstances or routines to figure out what's causing the emotional system to signal "danger." How to set limits with a child who lashes out using words and actions in-tune with their emotional state. Why it pays to focus on your child's feelings in the moment rather than reasoning with them or giving advice. Ways you can access the calm and reassurance you need to guide your child through this stage and shift the behavior.

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What to Do When Your Child is Hitting is an episode from Hand in Hand Parenting: The Podcast by Hand in Hand Parenting.

This episode is 17:20 long.

This episode was published on Jul 11, 2023.

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