How to teach regulate emotions stop hitting when upset.

Daniel Tiger and even the OG Mister Roger’s Neighborhood is GRRRRREAT for this!

If my son is upset but he hits me I tell him “I know you’re upset but I cant let you hit me, if you hit me again you’ll have to go in your room for 2 minutes” He usually hits me again so I say “okay, let’s go to your room.” I stay outside of the door and he usually cries but once that timer goes off I open the door and give him a big hug and we talk it out and he calms down. I talk about his feelings with him and acknowledge his feelings but I explain that hitting isn’t okay. I’ve stayed super consistent with it and he barely hits anymore. It’s very rare so I guess it worked! Some people don’t agree with having them be alone and go to their room so I understand if you don’t want to do that. It did work for me though and got the message acrossed. I’m never mean about it, just firm and then show tons of love after.

I’ve tried multiple different phrases to get the point across. The one that has been working for me recently is “use your words, not your hands”

@Kalia ok thanks will check it out

@Erica that’s great that it worked! Will try that cause all i say is hitting is not okay. It hurts when u hit Mummy and then he says sorry but does it again when he is upset. So I am guessing he is not understanding it. How did u handle it when u were in public and he hit when frustrated?

I go full on teacher mode, like muscle memory. Over explain, over explain, over explain until they're sick of hearing it once they get to be little spawns....this is what I'm doing THIS, this is what I i would like you to do. Woah, woah, woah, did you get hurt? Or your friend? We're currently dealing with a little thief. I think I got the tag team with Dad and sent him on a covert mission to get it out of her. She is going to be eaten alive with guilt because we work on that too. I'm exhausted and my teeth and throat hurts from taking so much.

Make a scene. Not too much but you know a little drama never killed anyone. Hopefully.

@Hannah yea i say use your words not hands, hands are not for hitting it hurts.

@Sarah it’s so exhausting repeating myself multiple times a day the same thing and it’s not clicking in his head 😩

My son takes me for a joke 😩😂 he continues to just test my boundaries it’s exhausting

Observe deeply and note what trigers him to hit. Avoid those situations for a while and use positive reinforcement sooo much that there'll be no more room for negative acts.