Q My 2-year-old son has started pulling hair, biting, hitting and pushing other kids. Many children and families benefit from education, de-stigmatization, and the bolstering of coping strategies. As if anxiety wasn’t hard enough to deal with! Throwing a tantrum to avoid the first day of kindergarten may be typical; doing it every day for weeks on end is not. Toddlers are realizing that they are separate individuals from their parents and caregivers. One of the most difficult aspects of having a toddler is dealing with the many temper tantrums they’ll throw at you. Or the problem may be as simple as a significant change in routine. Here, experts talk about the most common causes and solutions for toddler aggression, and they break down whether you need to worry. Aggression . This means that they are driven to assert themselves, to communicate their likes and dislikes, and to act independently (as much as they can!). But for kids with anger problems, lashing out often becomes a first line of defense. They want to communicate their needs and wants, but have a limited vocabulary. Most children can say all speech sounds correctly by age 7, but young children may mispronounce certain sounds, such as: Producing a t sound instead of a k, such as "tate" for "cake," is a common substitution and usually nothing to worry about unless your child is doing it past age 3. A Many toddlers show aggressive behavior around 2 years of age mainly out of frustration: Their desire to do things is greater than their capability. Causes of Toddler Aggression When children struggle to solve problems, resolve conflict, or ask for help, they may be using aggression as a way to get their needs met. Toddlers are also developing the language skills that help them express their ideas, wants, and needs. The best way to ride out toddler aggression is to stay calm and proactive. Being a parent to a toddler is no easy task. The adults in that child’s life need to learn how to support the child without insisting on medication or suppressing the tics. Remember that by the time most toddlers are 3 years old, they've grown out of aggressive behavior. Aggression is used as a means of communication before verbal skills are established. A toddler’s aggression usually begins at the age of 17 months and tends to peak between 18 and 24 months. Toddler tantrums are a normal expression of frustration. Please help. Since the 1970s, research has consistently reported childhood cruelty to animals as the first warning sign of later delinquency, violence, and criminal behavior. In children, it can sway away from the more typical avoidant, clingy behaviour and show itself as tantrums, meltdowns and aggression. While all toddlers will have the occasional temper tantrum, and most tantrums are nothing to worry over, extreme temper tantrums can often be a sign of a deeper issue. Any advice on how I can get him to stop? 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