
Smile, laugh, or dramatize the pain and the brain logs it as a game. Neuroscience shows infants repeat behaviours that trigger emotional feedback. That’s why some toddlers hit more, not less. Most parents think the problem is the behaviour. Hitting. Biting. Pulling hair. But the real driver isn’t the action. It’s the reaction that follows. The brain learns faster than words. For infants, emotion is information. Laughter. Shock. Big facial expressions. Even exaggerated pain. The nervous system reads all of it as feedback. Not as “right” or “wrong.” Neuroscience is clear on one thing. Behaviours that trigger attention + emotion are repeated. Not out of malice. Out of learning. So when an adult laughs or overreacts, the infant brain quietly records: “This caused a reaction.” “This changed the environment.” “This works.” That’s how a moment becomes a pattern. This is why hitting often increases with age. Not because the child is aggressive. Not because they’re testing power. But because the behaviour has been unintentionally reinforced. So what should you do instead? Not yelling. Nit explaining. Not emotional withdrawal. Just interruption and clarity. Stop the child’s hand calmly. Lower your voice. Use one short sentence. “You can’t hit Mom.” Nothing more. This boundary can be set early. As early as 5-6 months. Not as discipline. As information. The brain needs clean signals. Most parents don’t create hitting habits on purpose. They create them emotionally. One calm boundary, repeated consistently, teaches faster than any lecture later. Behaviour doesn’t need drama. It needs clarity. #toddlerparenting #parentingtips #gentleparenting #parentingadvice #toddlermomlife
This post was published on 02nd January, 2026 by Megha on her Instagram handle "@baby_vayu_garg (Vidyut Garg)". Megha has total 882 followers on Instagram and has a total of 246 post.This post has received 256 Likes which are lower than the average likes that Megha gets. Megha receives an average engagement rate of 30.88% per post on Instagram. This post has received 4 comments which are greater than the average comments that Megha gets. Overall the engagement rate for this post was lower than the average for the profile. #toddlerparenting #parentingadvice #gentleparenting #toddlermomlife #parentingtips has been used frequently in this Post.