In abject horror, I listened to my daughter’s friends advise her to hit back, pinch back, kick back and bite back when her awesome little guy began to exert his assertive nature. His goal, like all toddlers’, was to get a reaction.
How in the world did we get to thinking retaliation teaches a little kid anything but hostile aggression? Those little folks trust mommy and daddy. They do not expect you to hurt them and, if you watch their little faces when you retaliate, the first expression you see is one of deep confusion. Why is mommy hurting me? Then you see anger - a toddler’s latest, greatest emotion. And they will, I promise, reach out and pinch you - unless you truly hurt them, in which case, they will move away from you and sob.
Is that what your goal? Imagine the thoughts in that
