Need advice regarding hitting

DD is 21 months old and has been such a sweet fun energic little girl until now. I'm not sure if it's a phase and common for her age or the fact that she has a new little brother (he's 3 months old) or both.

Lately she has been hitting me and DS. I haven't really noticed her strike out at anyone else. Let me say that she doesn't hit hard or seem to want to physicially hurt anyone, but she does hit alot lately (even if ever so softly.) She also learned the word "no" last week and uses that more than I want to hear.

I tried holding her hands and explaining to her that hands are not for hitting and that it hurts my feelings or just plain hurts physicially and asking her to say sorry, but I'm tired of hearing myself say this over and over all day long. My DH (and she is totally a daddy's girl) has been great at also being stern and trying this approach when she does it to me or DS and she still does it 2 minutes later.

What else can I do? Is it normal? What am I doing wrong? I miss my sweet little girl

Re: Need advice regarding hitting

anyone?

Re: Need advice regarding hitting

I think its totally a normal phase for the age...although probably a bit of jealousy thrown in there since shes mainly doing it with you and DS.

Megan went through this BIG TIME at that age...even now from time to time (when shes over tired or SUPER angry) she hits. I tried to ignore but realized for Megan, that didnt work. I would do what you do. I take her hands, get down on her level and say the same things to her. "Hands are not for hitting. Make nice. Show me gentle. You hurt Mommy." Most times she gets it, gives me a hug and thats it. Now we have moved on to time outs. I give her a warning but if she does it again, she gets a timeout. Seems to be working although when we are out its hard. She hit me in a store recently, right in my face. She hadnt napped all day and I knew she was over tired but still no excuse. I told her we were leaving the store (shes a little older though) and going back to the car. She hates being in the carseat so this method worked wonderfully for us.

I know how frustrating it is, but stay consistent and hopefully she will grow out of it, just like all their other cooky stages!

Re: Need advice regarding hitting

Ugh- the hitting.. I know- Maddie is going through it too....
so far the only thing that has been remotely working is getting down to her level, grabbing her hands, scowling "no hitting" at her in a stern voice,and then picking her up and moving her away from me...
it causes her to cry and be a little shocked... I'd love to say that the hitting has gone away or reduced, but it hasn't yet.. I guess I have to keep working on it.

i read somewhere that hitting is just another way of communicating to them. they don't realize that they are hitting- they just think it's fun to "get a reaction".... we need to respond with the same reaction every time, that it isn't OK, etc etc...

hopefully this will work.. i did some googling on the subject and this is what I came up with. Let me know if you find anything else.