What to Do When You Feel Like Hitting: A No Hitting Book for Toddlers (Big Feelings Books for Toddlers)

The media could not be loaded. A little backstory - my son hits. It’s not like aggressive but he is 19 months and tends to use his hands when he is frustrated.That being said I am genuinely impressed with this book. It seems long but it’s not. It’s a good length but my toddler was able to sit through the whole thing. It has plenty of pictures for each coping skill, making it one skill per page.My son seemed to really be paying attention and absorbing the book. The author did well putting things in simpler terms while also continuing to repeat why hitting is bad. The author describes many different ways why hitting hurts, makes people sad, hurts them physically and mentally.It’s all inclusive, different kids that all look different. That was a bonus for me. I love books who acknowledge us all. It teaches our children to do the same.Pages are sturdy, they are paper not that waxy laminated material. But they’re thick and the book is structured well.Books are such an important part of children’s development and vocabulary. My son has learned a whole new vocabulary. This book has helped him put faces, pictures to his feelings. It has made those feelings real and seen.Sign me up for all the books like this!

This book has been a fantastic help for our toddler, aged 2 years and 7 months. It took about two months of reading it before it made a difference but he's not hitting at all anymore. There is a child with a wheelchair in the book and we had a great conversation about how some people need wheelchairs to get around. When he sees wheelchair kids in public he treats them like rockstars and he's excited to talk to them because their wheelchairs are the coolest. Definitely sharing this book with friends.

Having a problem with hitting during those toddler years? This book has helped tremendesly with dealing with those big feelings and the wanting to use force when not happy. We have started reading this book everyday with our 4 year old to help regulate those emotions and actions.

Love this book! This book is great for kids on the spectrum to help get them to understand hitting is not okay and gives options you can do instead. Unfortunately only giving it a 4 stars due to the product used to glue the pages together didn't even last a few days. The pages ended up falling out right in the middle of the book 😢.

Great book for toddlers or older! I bought this for my 2.5 y.o. and she would request me to read it every night. She would demonstrate some of the techniques described in the book at her own voilition, which was awesome because it showed that a couple methods were 'sticking.' The next step was trying to help her to perform the technique when needed....like when wanting to hit her brother, which is a bit more challenging!The illustrations are beautiful, large, and colorful. There's one sentence that I think is confusing for little ones to comprehend, such as the breathing method you'd use when blowing bubbles or a pinwheel. I wish there was an "as if" in there so it's taken less literally. However, the flow of the book is nice. It goes through situations which might occur, how you might feel, and then the techniques. Love the page that summarizes all the techniques and the 6 strategies in the back for parents. The pages are a slightly thicker than most paperbacks for kids - more durable for sure, which I appreciate. It's written by a child psychologist, so you know it's going to be a book of quality!

My almost 3 year old was recently diagnosed with Autism. He struggles with transitions and also has a speech delay, which often contributes to big meltdowns when he doesn’t get his way. He’s been a “hitter” since about 18M… and it’s so hard! I know he has big emotions and can’t regulate them easily. This book is FANTASTIC! It’s easy to read and has cute and relatable illustrations.It can be a little repetitive, but that’s what helps get the point across. Let’s face it, my son is also very repetitive, so it seems to resonate with him. It talks about different feelings and emotions, how it’s ok to feel that way, and how to handle them without hitting. For example, you can use your words to ask a grownup for help; you can draw an angry picture; you can squeeze your hands into a ball and release them, etc. There’s different options for different scenarios, and each one is described in a way that toddlers can figure out how to do it themselves. His favorite is to squeeze his hands into a fist, or give his body a big “squeeze hug.” I’ve already caught him doing that a few times instead of slapping me!It’ll take practice (like the book mentions) but I think he’ll be able to self-regulate better with some of these ideas!! I also have some new phrases to use and picked up some sign language. I love the tips for caregivers in the back!If you have a hitter (especially one on the spectrum), you need this! I actually like it better than our other book, Hands Are Not for Hitting. Similar story line, but this one is more detailed and better suited for older toddlers. I highly recommend it!!Hope this helps ☺️

Book is well made. Pages feel nice. Easy reading. Nice art. A helpful book for alternatives to hitting.

Terrific, not just for kids but also for caretakers on handling those angry moments. I liked that the lessons are repeated in different words and graphics. Our generations are raised a little bit differently. Conversations and techniques around anger changed. I strongly suggest this be given to people who babysit your kids. And that way the children will hear the same language when they’re struggling to get control of their feelings.