Question
I have a 3 year old Grandson my husband and I are "parents" of. He just turned 3 and within the last month he has started wanting to "hit". Not real sure where this behavior has come from other than starting to play more with 18 month only Grandson who hits a lot. He has played with other older children who hit often.
I have diligently tried not to "hit" but today he earned 2 swift pops on the behind after he informed me he was mad because I turned off the sprinkler, and refused to turn it on. After he screamed at me to turn it on he also informed me he was gonna "hit" me. I kept on doing my lawn work and he charged me and hit me several times. This just not OK for me. In response, I popped his behind 2 good hard pops and sat him on the bench.
My dillema is, where do you draw the line. My goal is to show him a way to express himself without resorting to "hitting" but my own children NEVER offered to hit me. I have tried to completely adopt no spanking because his biological father's family only resorts to violence. (He isn't around them much at all). But what else to do? Help! I can not have a boy that is just turned 3 hitting people and NO when he gets to that point means nothing.
Prior to this point, this child has been a pure Angel. Always listens, tries to help, but NO has become his new word too.