My two year old son (only child) lately has developed a habit of attempting to throw/break things when frustrated. In most cases, it's something that belongs to us (the parents) -- like a candle holder, table-top sewing machine, cups, bowls, etc.
I think he usually does it after hearing "no" or not having things go his way (bedtime, not getting candy, needing to clean up a mess he made, etc). I realize that in some way, it's a natural reaction and that he's trying to express his frustration and I want him to feel like he can express things in a healthy manner... but these physical acts/behavior can't continue because:
- Some of the items can be fragile (and yes, we try to keep really important stuff out of reach).
- We don't want him to accidentally injure himself or others.
Over the past few weeks we've tried a variety of techniques including:
- Attempting to calm him down by listening to him, expressing sincere empathy, showing physical affection (hugs), letting him know that we understand that he's frustrated...
- Trying to anticipate frustration and present alternatives (notifying him about bedtime in advance, offering a more healthy snack if he's hungry, etc)
- Putting him timeout
None of these things seem to help and this pattern has been going on for awhile. Are there any other ideas/suggestions?