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Conference moira::parenting

Title:Parenting
Notice:Previous PARENTING version at MOIRA::PARENTING_V3
Moderator:GEMEVN::FAIMANY
Created:Thu Apr 09 1992
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1292
Total number of notes:34837

151.0. "Agressiveness in 3-year old" by LUDWIG::LROSS () Mon Jun 08 1992 13:39

    
      I have two small boys - one turned 1 in May and the other turned 3 in
     February.  I am having a problem with overagressiveness in the 3-year
     old.  He used to be very tolerant of his younger brother and other
    people in general.  In the last few months (probably since Jeremy has
     been walking), he has turned into a "mean" little boy.  He hits,
    shoves, smacks in the head, rips toys out of people's hands, etc.  I
     am at my wits end and dont' know how to properly deal with it.  
      He's been told over and over again that this is inappropriate
    behavior.  Punishment like time out in a corner only serves to make
     him cry hysterically, calm down, eventually get out of the corner
      and repeat the same behavior a half-hour later.  He doesn't just
      do these things out of the blue - he usually does this in response
      to being teased, somebody is playing with a toy he wants, somebody
      touches him etc.  Any ideas.  We are also in the midst of looking
      for daycare for the two boys and I am afraid that no-one will want
      to look after him because of his new behavior.
    
      Lorain
    
    
    
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151.1I have an aggressive one tooVAXUUM::FONTAINEMon Jun 08 1992 14:3230
    
    
    I can relate.  I have an almost 3 year old and an almost 1 year old.
    Andrew was very tolerant of Sam, that is until Sam began moving around
    and touching things and holding things.  Andrew changed alot when Sam
    started to become an independent little being.  He realized that what 
    used to be his and his only now needs to be shared (not all of his
    things, but *some* of them).  What helps is to have your 3 year old
    decide what is his, meaning things that don't have to be shared and
    have those special things put in a place (maybe his room?) where the
    younger one can't encroach.  Also have the older one *help* do things.
    Andrew gets much more tolerant and patient when he's helping.  This
    gives him reponsibility and he also realizes that this is something
    that the younger one *can't* do, so he feels special.  
    
    I'm still going through this too, but it seems that when I find a way 
    to give him positive reenforcement, he really blossoms.  But yeah, we
    still get into the old "I asked you not to hit/push/yell at/bang into,
    etc your brother, now STOP IT!" kind of stuff.  I now give him one 
    warning when he's being a little bully and then he goes right on the 
    chair (which he'll usually stay on [knock on wood]).
    
    It's a tough thing for the older child too, so the positive comments
    and activities take their minds off conjuring up a new way to 
    clobber their brother/sister.
    
    good luck,
    NF
    
                                
151.2Some daycare suggestionsTANNAY::BETTELSCheryl, Eur. Ext. Res. Prg., DTN 821-4022Tue Jun 09 1992 06:0612
When looking for daycare, maybe you could look for a larger center where
your two children wouldn't be in the same group.  This would give your
older boy a chance to learn sharing in a less competitive situation.

I second the idea of having things which are *his*.  This also worked for my
two boys who are two years apart.  Dirk was positively mean to Markus when
no one was looking.  We just had to be very firm but also punish Mark when
he got into Dirk's things.  This is even the case today and now they are
11 and 13!  They still don't like to share with each other but have a healthy
respect for each other's property.

ccb
151.31-1 time with you or Dad?ICS::NELSONKTue Jun 09 1992 16:348
    As young as my daughter is, I make a point of keeping her away from
    James' things.  I've also told him, however, that if he doesn't
    want her to "mess with his stuff," he'll have to put it in his
    room so she can't even see it.  
    
    Any chance of having Dad take the older one out for some one-on-one
    time?  We found that James is a lot better behaved in general when
    he has plenty of time with one of us, preferably Daddy.