Babies can be the cutest thing ever, but they can also be quite violent and confuse you, an example of violent and confusing behavior is when babies slap you in the face
You may be wondering why your baby does this, this article looks into it
Why does my baby hit me in the face?
Babies do have a variety of odd and confusing behaviors that you as a parent simply have to figure out and work around, one odd behavior is the baby hitting you in the face
Here is why this is happening with your baby:
Babies and slapping:
The slapping will likely not only happen with you, but your young child will also likely slap anyone who they have the chance to.
Your baby may slap you for a variety of reasons including frustration, environmental exploration, sensory exploration, or because they are simply having fun
Sensory exploration: You’ll know that the slapping is happening as a result of sensory exploration because the baby will generally be quite physical general
Environmental exploration: Your child may be slapping because they are exploring their environment. Hitting things, including hitting you is one way that the child explores their environment, through their sense of touch
Exploration doesn’t only have to do with exploring textures but it also has to do with learning how cause and effect plays out. In this case, your child slaps to see what happens once they slap. The baby will find the reaction amusing in this case
Frustration: If you aren’t giving your child attention, and they slap you, then you’ll know that your child is slapping you because they are trying to get your attention and are frustrated because they haven’t been able to get your attention.
Fun: Sometimes your baby will slap your face because they think its a game and they are having fun.
What to do:
The first thing that you should know if this is happening to you is that the baby isn’t trying to hurt you.
Aggression only starts with babies over 18 months of age so don’t think that the baby hates you, just try to stop this slapping behavior.
If you help your child understand that slapping is wrong then you don’t end up with an aggressive toddler
Your baby likely hasn’t grasped language yet so simply telling them not to slap will likely not make a difference but you can stop this behavior without being aggressive with your child yourself
If your child slaps then hold your baby’s hand and move it away, this will communicate that you don’t want them to do this behavior.
If your child is slapping cause they like the sensory feedback then give them something to play with, like a stress ball, and get them to slap, squeeze, and play with it
If your child is slapping you because they want your attention then stop the slapping by holding their hand and then give them your attention, also, give your child attention when they need it, do this before they have time to start slapping.
You can also guide your child to do the behavior you prefer, when they try to slap stop their hand and guide them to hug you instead
If your baby starts throwing a tantrum then you can take a break, put them somewhere safe, somewhere where they can have the tantrum without you attending to them, and then reengaging them shortly after.
If you enjoyed this article you may be interested in other child related articles: Why Does My Baby Open And Close His Hands, Why Do Toddlers Love Babies, Why Does My Baby Like Lights So Much?, Will My Baby Remember Me Being Angry, Why Does My Baby Moan All The Time, Baby Cries With Nanny, Toddler Only Wants Mom After New Baby, Toddler Prefers Dad After New Baby, Toddler Mad At Mom After New Baby
