mean toddler!

[TigerLily]

My normally sweet 2.75 year old just threw her beloved baby doll in the time out chair and started hitting her! I have never hit her, and she hasn't watched any adult TV that might have any hitting on it. She only goes to school once a week and I'm sure she's never seen anything like that there. I have no idea what is going on! Is this just a normal part of childhood? Her poor little baby doll has been abused so much today. And I don't even know what to say to her about it. I tried to tell her that she should explain to her baby why she's in time out...but that didn't really work for her. The only thing I can think of is that she's angry with her little sister for taking our attention and is maybe taking it out on her doll? They do have the same name...

[Ravenclaw]

My DD did this one day and it shocked me. She was throwing her doll down the stairs and stuffing it in a cardboard box saying "You do bad things? You get hit!." No idea where she got that from. She only watches PBS Kids and obviously we never say anything like that! It was disturbing but fortunately it was just one day. We just told her her doll is going to cry and get hurt and leave because DD is not taking care of her. She still did it after that but we ignored her and she's been fine since then. I hope it's normal!!

[v-girl]

My boy took Elmo and put his head in the Potty Time potty the other day. Yep. Future bully practicing swirlies?

Maybe try to re-direct her and explain that we don't treat our babies that way? That's what we did with the boy and Elmo.

[diggitydot]

Adults sometimes attach meaning to toddler behavior that isn't related to anything going through the toddler's head. If they're capable of answering you, asking why they just gave Elmo a swirlie may uncover something silly like that they just had Elmo in their hand when they noticed that his head fits inside the potty seat like a hat.

Kids do REALLY weird shit sometimes for a bazillion unrelated reasons.

[Michele]

What DiggityDot said.

I don't always think that toddlers have a reason behind their actions. Especially in a role playing type activity like you've described.

If it was a pattern, like every doll and every toy got a beating every time you played and then she started treating you the same way....then I'd think there was something more going on.

But once or twice? Sounds like she's just trying on different scenarios. I'd just ignore the ones that you don't want to encourage.

[Ladybug]

Playing is a safe way to act out their frustrations. I wouldn't sweat it. She's frustrated with time outs and feels angry when she's in a time out. We all feel angry and frustrated and hitting is an instinct...not hitting is a learned, modeled behvavior that developes with maturity.

I'll never forget the time I heard my two older girls playing and one said, "You're in trouble! You're getting a time out down in the basement!" We have a super creepy, 100-year-old-unfinished-scary-movie basement. I about died. I was so worried they would say that at someone's house...and they believe that's what I did to my kids! Eek!!!

[TigerLily]

ok good, I feel much better. I don't know what has gotten into her lately, but I guess it's just 3 year old showing up and the baby going away.