18 month old NEVER minds!

Our 18 month old son has been hitting and biting for several months. When we tell him no, he laughs at us and does it anyway. He now pulls hair and pinches as well. He thinks its funny, even when we spat him on his diaper. My 14 year old daughter has nicknamed him Chuckie. What can we do to stop all of this bad behavior?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You should place him in time out at the least sign of aggressive behavior. Simply speaking to him will not be suffcient, and it is not necessary (in fact, it is likely not useful) to spank him. You are more likely to 'teach' him to hit if you spank him. Use of time out is the most effective method of intervening with childhood misbehavior such as aggression. If you follow the guidelines in Lynn Clark's book SOS Help for Parents, you will be on the road to a successful method of behavior management.