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Handling Aggressive Play

Written by Jane

Saturday, 19 May 2007

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Handling Aggressive Play
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While it's great to have a child who handles the rough and tumble of life, there's a fine line between play and bullying. With positive parenting you can prevent your child being bullied or becoming the aggressor by teaching them how to play appropriately.

Your child will increasingly look for interaction with their surrounds and their commitment is 100%. Having seen my baby thrashing around at 6 months I realise now why they say babies are tough!

However, it can be quite shocking to see how children treat each other. When one child knocks another over or worse hits another, it’s quite upsetting. Here are a few tips about how to handle rough and tumble play and what to do when you think it is out of hand.

Observe

Babies know what they want before they can tell you. You’ll find they will let you know even at 10 months what they want, up or down, this room or that, hungry or just playing. They start to protest when you take a toy away, or get them out of the bath. Look for these signs in your baby and see if you can find their likes and dislikes.

Allow

Put your child with other children and watch them go from an early age. You’ll find out whether they are shy or forward. Often babies grab toys, roll into and grab at other babies. They love to interact.

Monitor

You won’t always be there to keep your child out of trouble. So learning to go with the flow and deal with a rough and tumble world is essential. Your job is to guide that exploration into positive play. Sharing, gentleness, conversing, these are all skills that your child may not have. Reminding and showing those skills when your child is being a bit too rough is a great way for them to learn.

Focus on the behaviour

When you see your child or another doing something you don’t like focus on redirecting the behaviour. By saying “Why don’t we put the blocks in the box now” you may prevent a block being thrown or hitting another child. This skill is the most important tool you will have for the first few years. Your child learns what they should do with the item, how they should behave.

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