Bad Behaviour

[Sammy Joe]

My 2 year old son is starting to show signs of behaviour that are worrying to me.  My sister and her 1 year old son have come to stay with us for a while and my son treats him very badly.  At first I thought it was jealousy but I am not sure anymore.  He is always pushing his cousin over, hitting him, kicking him etc. he is a very loving child and has not been like this before.  Is there something wrong or is it just a phase?  How do I discipline him when he behaves like this?  He also harrases the dog a lot - pulling his tail, hitting etc.  I am a single mum who works full time, my mother looks after the boys. He does it all the time, not just when I get home.  Please advise me on how to handle this situation as my sister is getting angry with my son all the time, shouting at him etc with is understandable.

[ADHDMOMof3]

In comment to your 2 year old son.  I agree that the new changes in his home environment is the problem.  And that time-out is the solution---but remember that you must be consistent.  Consistency is the key to most behavior problems.  It may take time to correct the problem so don't give up.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Your son's world has been turned upside down with the arrival of his aunt and cousin - this is a major development in the world of a two-year-old. Set a firm limit on aggressive behavior, and immediately place your son in time out (on an adult-size chair) if he behaves in an aggressive fashion. Use a self-standing timer to track the time out (three minutes would be fine), and start the timer only when your son is seated quietly in the time out chair.