Aggressive Behavior

I am a stay-at-home Mom.  I have two children: my son is 20 months old, his sister is 3 years old.  Both are very loving and happy children.  However, sometimes when he plays with other children or with his sister he will purposly scratch, pinch or bite.  It almost seems like he is just trying to get a rise out of the other child - or attention from us.  My son seems to developmentaly be ahead of his peers - he speaks in full sentances and seems to be more physically coordinated than others his age.  I'm sure it may be because he has an older sibling.  His sister, has never displayed this kind of aggressive behavior. We have tried giving him short "time-outs", but it doesn't seem to discourage him much.  What is the best way to handle this behavior?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Stephanie,

Your son's behavior is probably not due to a desire to get a rise out of children or gain attention. I say this because the behavior is aggressive in nature and is an expression of his anger.

You are on the right track. At any sign of aggression, place your son in time out, with the simple words: "No hurting." Use a portable timer to track the time, start the timer only when your son is seated and quiet, and keep him in the time out for five minutes. At the conclusion, repeat the words: "No hurting."

Over time, if you are persistent, you will see this behavior diminish.

Also, be on the lookout for the kinds of situations that result in his being angry. Careful observation will reveal this to you. Then you can intervent to help him handle such situations without the aggressive behavior.

[sandt5165]

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