Help! My Child's Beating Me Up!

Master A is coming to that time in his life where he is experimenting with his communication. I say "experimenting" in the nicest possible way, as my little scientist has begun to hit when he doesn't get his way. At almost 21 months old I thought that I had at least another 3 to 6 months before I had to worry about the terrible twos.


Boy was I wrong!


My Munchkin is generally pretty well behaved. He knows how to listen, and quite often will. However when that pair of scissors that he has moved the kitchen bin over to the counter to climb on just to reach, are taken out of his hands, watch out for that slap, because it is lethal!

{image source}

Going out the front door is another trigger. Mr Independent loves to race outside as fast as he can. Me? Not so keen on running after him, carrying Thomas the Tank Engine back packs, rain coats, car keys, and sometimes a lunch bag. So, like any other horrible mother would do, I insist on picking him up and carrying him to the car, you know, just so he doesn't run out on the road or anything. This usually results in a slap to the face.

{image source}

When it happens in public? So embarrassing. I copped a whopper in the mouth yesterday simply for taking him off the playground to eat his lunch. I saw a pair of rolled eyes and a raised eyebrow or 2 when I told him off for hitting Mummy.

So this poses my question, what is a mum to do when she is being beaten up by her own child?

I have tried every trick in the book when it comes to disciplining this painful new expression of Master A's dislike, and so far can not find anything that stops it! So I guess that I just keep trying and hope like hell that this is the worst he will get. Ha ha What do you think my chances are of that?

Did your child go through the "terrible twos"?
What did you do to keep your sanity?