Aggressive 18 Month Old

I just started this little guy as part of group I have that is all about his age. He was kicked out of his last day care for hurting other kids and I do understand why. I don't want to term this kid but if I turn my back for a second he is riding other toddlers like a pony, choking them or pulling hair.

I need suggestions to help him get through this stage and the other children survive in one piece.

[MarinaVanessa]

The only suggestion that I can give you is to shadow, shadow, shadow. Do not let him out of your sight even for a second. Take him with you everywhere you go. It sounds crazy but I had a dcb that was like this and just about the same age. I had to put a back-pack harness on him and tether him to my belt-loop because he was so aggressive and destructive. Any time that he hit or tried to hit or when he threw something or did something really bad I would put him in it and he would be forced to sit with me. I would explain it as simple as I could. Then after a while I would remove the harness, explain to him that we are gentle and show him what a gentle touch is and let him play on his own, but I would continue to monitor him and shadow him.

It did eventually get better but it was a HUGE hassle. It took three weeks of tethering him to me to get him to stop and still another 2-3 weeks to get him to play nicely with the other kids. Good luck. A willfull child like this is extremely difficult and time consuming to deal with.

[Cat Herder]

Divide and Conquer.

Seperate him from the group whenever you are not 100% able to directly supervise him (shadow) until he earns his way back.

Trust and friendship are earned, not rights.

[TBird]

I'm really starting to notice that there are some kids who don't "make the connection" between hitting & hurting....riding a kid's back & hurting....hitting a kid with a toy & hurting....kicking a kid in the head & hurting....ANYTHING & hurting!!!

It's like they are missing that chip that tells them it HURTS. Maybe not the little 18 month olds but I have a 3 year old who just doesn't "get it"...he's the sweetest, most loving & kind little boy but when he hits it's like a cartoon. He has no clue why I'd be so upset that he just busted his classmate upside the head with a Tonka truck.

[cheerfuldom]

I'm surprised you took a child knowing that he had already been kicked out of a daycare for aggressive behavior. Its going to be a lot of work to get him over this and like the others said, you need to be watching him and spending a lot of time devoted to correcting this behavior.

[countrymom]

I've had several go thru that stage, its awful. Shadow and consequences are the only thing that work. But I started to found out that a)the kids are watching violent shows including cartoons b)sibilings beating them up c)they don't know how to express themselves when they don't get there way. But it will pass for the most part, but you have to be on them like glue.