What do you do when your kid hits you?
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Anonymous
| Or starts destroying objects within in reach while having a meltdown? I'm not asking for therapy recommendations. I want to know what other people do in the moment when it happens. I have been doing the bear hug but that doesn't work as well when he's throwing things. |
Anonymous
| Remove everything in reach,walk away. Depends on the age. Sometimes we distract and redirect when there is a window... kissing, playing and get the meltdown to calm down then deal with the situation. |
Anonymous
| How old? |
Anonymous
| I see it coming and catch their hand and firmly say "We do NOT hit people. People are NOT for hitting." And then I take her to her bedroom and say she can come out when she's ready to behave nicely. |
Anonymous
Six. |
Anonymous
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I sat on the floor with him between my legs, with my arms wrapped around his arms (so they could not move) and my legs over his legs (so they could not move). If he tried to head butt me, I put one arm around his arms and one hand on his head to hold it against my shoulder. I talked to him calmly and said "I will not let you hurt me or hurt yourself or tear up the house. When you are done with hitting and throwin, I will let you go." Then I sat there and talked to him calmly and sang to him until he was done. I sometimes stopped and asked "Are you done yet?"
When he was done, we went back to what we were doing. If he was throwing a tantrum because he wanted something, I redirected him to the correct way to ask for it. If he asked politely, he could have it. If he could not have what he was tantruming to get, I redirected him to another activity. |
Anonymous
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When it is not in the moment, you can have him practice techniques to use when he feels agitated and the building up of emotions. One that worked with my DC, was closing his eyes and breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. THe closing of the eyes is important. I also had my son take a step backwards. So, I would say, 'step back, close your eyes and breathe, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" Practice is key. You can have him stick his tongue to the roof of his mouth while doing the breathing too. Others count seven in,holding for 7 and exhaling for seven. Practice in moments of relative calm,but tell him that is what it is and that is what he should do when he feels a tantrum coming on. You will have to cue him at first, but the idea is for him to recognize it and strt doing it himself. The when he does it, praise praise praise.
It works for parents too. 
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