Dr. Jameca CooperForensic Psychology Consultant, Emergence Psychological Services · Board Certified Counseling Psychologist and Forensic Psychology Consultant

What would you do? #gentleparenting #toddlertantrum #parentingreality #genx #parentingreality

3 May 2026 · 1 min

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0:40

In this short excerpt from Dr. Jameca Cooper’s YouTube video on gentle parenting, two speakers discuss how to address a toddler’s hitting behavior. Speaker A emphasizes that hands are not meant for hitting and expresses discomfort with the aggression. Speaker B expands on the gentle‑parenting principle, stating that hitting must never be allowed because it teaches the child that physical aggression is acceptable. The speaker advocates for establishing a calm, consistent rule that the child cannot hit, explaining that early boundary‑setting prevents future public incidents and the need for more severe interventions. The tone is instructional and supportive, aiming to equip parents with a clear, non‑punitive strategy for managing toddler aggression.

Chapters

Hey, no, hands are not for hitting. Hands are not for hitting. I don't like that. That hurts.
She's talking about hands are not for hitting. Oh yes, hands are definitely for hitting. They really are. And you can be hit too, because even as a toddler and a young child, I cannot allow you to hit me at any point because then you will think that's correct. And then we'll get out somewhere in public and then I gotta do something to send me up to the people and get a charge. So it's best we just start, you know, in a very calm way all the time with the rule that you don't get to hit me. We can't even play that way.