Hitting others is usually a common physical response for toddlers who are unable to share their emotions through words. But that doesn’t make it appropriate behavior. Learn how to resolve this issue in your home.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute
At this developmental stage, it can be common for toddlers to lash out physically. In some cases, this behavior will naturally fade over time. But when your toddler shows a pattern of this behavior, your attention and care are necessary.
Your response should depend on your toddler’s age and maturity level. Here are some tips to respond to your toddler’s hitting behavior.
Remember to reinforce positive behavior alongside of focusing on shaping negative behavior in a different direction. For more help on this topic and modeling grace and forgiveness, explore our parenting resources here.
Dr. Daniel Huerta is Vice President of Parenting and Youth for Focus on the Family, overseeing the ministry’s initiatives that equip moms and dads with biblical principles and counsel for raising healthy, resilient children rooted in a thriving faith.
He is a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, and the author of 7 Traits of Effective Parenting. For many years, he has provided families with practical, biblically-based and research-based parenting advice on topics including media discernment, discipline, communication, mental health issues, conflict resolution, and healthy sexuality in the home. He is passionate about coming alongside parents as they raise contributors, instead of consumers, in a culture desperately in need of God’s kingdom.
Dr. Huerta has been interviewed by various media outlets including Fox News, Fatherly, Christianity Today, WORLD Magazine, and CBN, and he is a frequent guest on Christian radio stations across the nation. He’s also written for publications, including The Washington Post, on various topics related to marriage and parenting. He participated in the development of Focus on the Family’s Launch Into the Teen Years, a resource to help parents prepare their kids for adolescence, and he speaks regularly at retreats, conventions, and online events.
Dr. Huerta has maintained a private practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado since 2003 and has served families through Focus on the Family since 2004. He and his wife, Heather, have been married since 1997 and love being parents to their three teen children, Alex, Lexi, and Maci.
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