At 3 years old, there is a few things you can try. Is he home with you? or go to daycare? If he is home, then you can try ignoring and walking away. here is a great advice about exclusion . If he hits you, and you are able to just get up and walk away to the next room, then do so for about 3 minutes. Or if you are not able to get up and leave, then ignore him by turning away and not making eye contact. Or you can try time-out. Say it is not acceptable to hit because it hurts other people and walk him to a quiet corner or a designated spot and put a 3 minute timer on. Tell him he is to stay there and think about what he has done and when the timer beeps, you will come and get him. After it beeps, you sit down on his level and tell him again that hitting is a bad thing he shouldn't do it again. Hug, and then let him go. Do this every time he hits anyone.

The principle is either you will no longer include him (by ignoring him) when he hits you. This is a realistic consequence because when he is with other people/kids, no one would really want to stay with him if he hits others. And the same with the time-out: he will be excluded if he hits.

let him know in a positive tone that you dont like it when he hits "It hurts Mummy" you will get a better responce than yelling. encourage and reward positive behavour it need not be a toy or food maybe a little dance, a kiss or a hug let him know you are proud and hope the hitting goes away, all else fails use time out! one minute for each year of age.

good luck

Anitaxx

I am afraid all I can suggest is consistant positive re-enforcement. Our youngest was a hitter and could act deaf and dumb to the word No or Please Dont.. So we set forth on a range of tactics.

When she hit, we immediatly put her in time out, saying only "We do not hit in this family ever". Once calmed down we would then explain in simple terms, why we did not hit.

A star chart was set up and much praise was forth coming from the whole family when she was being nice to people as well as reaching her targets.

When she had something she should'nt and was asked to relinqish it, she would say "go away". So I did, I took the Item from her and went to another room. She would cry, dont go, but I would say, sorry you shouted me to go, and I do not wish to stay and be shouted at.

Give lots and lots of attention for good behaviour infact I went overboard for a while, and as little interaction as possible for naughty.

I think the trick is to make being good, fun. Oh and keeping explanations simple, Hitting makes Mummy sad and Caty sad, cuddles and smiles make us happy. Too big an explanation and the little ones tune  out.

Caty who is three, made the turn around in about two weeks, she now is finding life much more fun, as are we.LOL

Hope you find your answers. Luv Winnie.xx

We have the same issue with our 4 & 5 year olds.  they don't hit us, but each other and their sisters.  We make them sit by themselves and don't let them up again until they are allowed to by me or my partner.

Our 5 year old is in school, so for me, it is highly important that she respects the no hitting at home as well as school, but she thinks there are different rules for at home.

We are going to get our 4 year old into daycare soon, just so she can see we aren't the only ones who growl when she hits.

Most children hit out of frustration, though it isn't always easy to see what it is that is frustrating them.

Oh how I know this one!  I feel for you as my girl can be quite the naughty one too, she likes to scream and hit.  One thing that works for me is explaining to her why we don't do what we do and tell her that if she does not listen then she will get her favorite toy taken away or what ever it is that she is playing with, or won't get what she wants from the store.  It's hard, but just be consitant it soon enough it will click for him.  My SIL told me that her babies were just the same and once they hit 4 it completely changed.  Good luck, and just keep telling him why we don't do it, and remind him that he does not like to be hit or what ever it is he is doing.