MY 3 YEAR OLD IS TOO VIOLENT..

My 3 year old son is a bright kid. He does well in school, the teacher has never said that he has a problem while he's in class. But as soon as my son comes home he's back to his normal ways of hitting everyone that walks past him. I don't understand why he acts the way he does. He constantly hits everyone all day. People his age, babies, adults, me. I started to beat him for hitting other peoples kids for no reason but that doesnt seem to help. I've always told my kids to only hit someone if they hit you first, but that flew out the window with my son. We can be walking thru wal-mart shopping and he will run up to a random stranger and punch them as hard as he can! He has put sooo many marks and scratches on my neighbors son face that she doesnt want them to play around each other anymore. Idont know what i should do with this 3 year old little boy. He is out of control to the fullest. I'm considering getting his head checked out. I'm thinking he needs someone to talk to. And I know it's not me... cause his mouth is so grown i don't know what to say half the time.. The cursing everything is just to much to handle. Iknow he is overly hyper and i definitely think he needs some medicine to calm his butt down, what should i do..?

[LRM1021]

A few things here---

-- you said you beat him for hitting other people's kids, and
-- your message to your children was only to hit if you get hit first.

In all honesty, most parents simply tell their children not to hit at all-- that its not ok to use physical aggression to communicate. Additionally, I don't think most parents beat their children as punishment-- for this exact same reason. Your message to your child is not exactly that same message that most parents send--- and it sounds like he is not responding to your message.  

I do suggest that you seek some professional counseling that will be able to guide you and your son so that his behavior can be more controlled. A professional evaluation is the best place to start. However, I think you should be forewarned that what you might hear from this professional is about how YOU need to change a lot of what you are doing in raising this one (you know each kid is different, and they each respond  differently, so you will probably be advised to alter what you are doing with regards to this one.)  Good luck.

[fillcdj]

I am a firm believer in a child getting their butt tore up.  I am in the same situation that you are in with my 4 yr. old daughter.  I tried all of the **** of taking things away from her or time out and it doesn't work at all.  Now all I have to do is metion the belt and she straightens up... My mother got me no matter where we were and that is the same way I do mine... I have turned out fine, just fine.  I thank my mother for every whooping I ever got.  People wonder what has gotten into the kids today...well, its the fact that people are either so scared to make their kids mind or either to blind or stupid to realize just how much they are hurting them by not making them mind...  The bible says, "Spare the rod, spoil the child"  That's what's wrong with kids today... they are so spoiled and they run the show that the parents don't even realize it.