Hitting is one of those behaviours that can pop up commonly within children. The causes are wide and varied, but often we look to eliminate the behaviour in our children, without fully exploring the trigger.
Although hitting out is something that is widely accepted as being normal behaviour for children, it is possible to work through this issue quickly and gently, to prevent it continuing. In this short video I talk about not only the triggers, but how to deal with the underlying needs.
Somewhere along the way, the secrets to a happy childhood seem to have become lost. Parents are filled with worry about all the things they could do better, all the things they wish they could afford for their children, or conversely, how nothing they give their child seems to bring a smile to their face. Parents notice that their children seem to have lost their spark, their faces dull and unhappy, a stream of complaints from their lips, never satisfied with what life has to offer.
But what do our children really need?
The truth is that the requirements for a happy childhood are not secrets at all, they just get overlooked due to their simplicity.
After all, the human race would never have come so far if the perceived complications we think our children need, were real.
What does independent play look like to you? Is it the sight of a child building towers, painting, drawing, pushing trains happily around a track, reading stories to dolls?
You would be right in thinking that this is what independent play can look like.
Before I had my son, I spent two years working with children with disabilities. This blanket statement covered a whole range of additional needs and diagnoses, including tourette’s syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder, down syndrome, and severe behavioural difficulties, amongst many others. The young people ranged from aged three to eighteen.
I learned very quickly that shouting and threats of punishment, such as loss of privileges, could escalate a bit of a situation in to an almighty catastrophe. Coming up against the behaviour and trying to lay down the law, only served to make my job harder and the behaviour more extreme.
Children can really benefit from getting involved in household tasks and taking on some responsibility in tidying up their things. However, tidy up time can easily become a struggle between parent and child, with the child firmly refusing to lift a finger and the parent getting stressed and frustrated. Here are my top tips for creating harmony and serenity during tidy up time.
