My 3 year old has been on a hitting streak lately. He has hit his big sister, Mommy, and myself, but luckily he has not hit his baby brother. We have tried a few strategies to get him to stop hitting, which included discussing things, demonstrating healthy behavior, watching Daniel Tiger episodes, role playing, and also showing what hitting feels like. Nothing has quite worked yet.

Hitting seems to come from a burst of emotion because once my 3 year old has calmed down, he feels remorse and shows his understanding of why hitting is wrong. He also takes the time to apologize thoroughly and will verbalize what he needs in a healthier way next time he gets angry or emotional. What I can’t seem to figure out is how to have him pause in the heat of the moment before the hand begins striking.

One of the thoughts is that this may be due to a regression from having a newborn in the house. Again, it’s a big change for everyone involved and the hitting will for sure get a reaction from either myself or my wife. The negative attention is still attention and maybe that is what my 3 year old son craves. I reminded him today about how to ask for attention in a healthy way and that no matter what, we will find the quality time to dedicate to each other so that he feels seen and heard. I do not want middle child syndrome to be a thing in the family and here’s to taking more steps (and an increase in focus) to ensuring it doesn’t manifest.