Why does he hit another child?

An infant or young toddler who hits is not yet aware that it might hurt—it may even be playful.  He does not have an awareness of his own body or an understanding that he is a separate person—so he is not yet able to empathize or recognize that hitting another person might be harmful. 

An infant or young toddler doesn’t know his own strength.  He does not automatically understand the differences between a kiss and a bite, between a pat and a hit, between a nudge and a push.  He needs many reminders and he needs to experience gentleness physically in order to learn how to be gentle.  “This is how you can touch the baby, softly;” or “It hurt when you hit me, I like how you are patting my arm instead.”

Why does he cry when Mommy or Daddy comes back?

Infants and young toddlers feel their emotions very strongly and have little self-control.  This means that he is still learning how to express and cope with strong emotions.  Remember all those emotions a child might be feeling when parents leave- sadness, anger, and fear?  A child who cries when Mom or Dad comes back may be feeling overwhelmed with those same emotions all over again. 

You can help by empathizing and labeling how the child might be feeling to show that you understand those strong emotions.  This will help him to learn that he can depend on you to help him recover when he is feeling overwhelmed.  Eventually, this will also help him to have repeated positive experiences with reuniting after a period of separation.

Go Out and Play!

If this gorgeous pre-summer weather isn’t enough to make you want to stay outside all day, try this…

Young children are kinesthetic learners, which means that they learn through movement. Physical activity fuels the connection between mind and body. What a great excuse to get outside and play!
As young children move their bodies to explore their environment, they build knowledge, strength, and skills…

Children learn problem-solving skills as they try different movements to figure things out; they learn to turn their ideas into actions to accomplish a goal. They learn important concepts like in, out, up, down, over, and under. They learn social skills like cooperation, turn-taking, and self-control.

Sand and water play lays the foundation for future math and science learning, as children explore displacement by playing with sizes and shapes of objects. Mastery of physical skills like walking, running, jumping, balancing, climbing, and swinging also helps children gain self-confidence.

Childhood obesity is a growing concern in our nation, and daily outdoor play is a great natural remedy. From birth, you can help instill a love of movement in your child when you make time for playing outside together. What are you waiting for? Go outside and play!