Bitten, Bruised and Battered (or, How to Handle Getting Your Ass Handed to You by a Toddler)

When I say my toddler kicked my ass, I don't mean she has been rambunctious all day and I'm tired, or I had to physically chase after her so much that now everything between my neck and my feet are begging for a hot soak in the tub. When I say that I had my ass handed to me by a toddler, I'm talking about her physically hurting me. 

Our house is full of love, hugs, kisses and random dance parties. Yes, we've got our stressful days but we don't yell, or throw, or hit. Even though we try to teach by example, it's not enough. Tonight I was pinned to the floor by a 19 month old ninja trying to fight her way onto my chest in order to get a handful of hair in her fist and my shoulder in her mouth. 

When she's not going Hannibal Lecter or Ninja Baby on me, she's pinching, slapping, or hitting with her toys. Or, she's biting through clothing. Tonight she bit a hole through my skirt. 

How do you get it through to her at such a young age that it's not cool to smash your mama in the face with your sippy cup, bite her on the back of the thigh or grab a chunk of skin (and sometimes flesh), dig your nails in deep and twist?!

"No" doesn't seem to work. She giggles when I use a stern tone of voice. "Stop" makes her want to do it more, to the point of chasing me around the house to try and get a grip on one of my limbs so she can sink in her tiny little fangs. I haven't seem to have mastered "the look"... although I'm working on it. Give me time.

I understand that at one and a half, a child's language is developing and due to their lack of vocabulary, they rely on actions to communicate. Incoming molar aside, the hitting and pinching is telling me she doesn't like me; that she wants to cause a reaction in me. Is it as simple as her needing more of my attention than she's getting? 

My big question: How can I help her channel this energy so she's not hurting people? What are the great activities that help curb toddler aggression?

My new approach, as I attempt to cease the bloody marks on my skin, is to reinforce the "gentle" instead of responding with the negative, "no"s, "don't"s and "stop"s.  And maybe take a time out myself before reprimanding her. 

Suggestions, advice, and guilty confessions of your reaction to an aggressive toddler welcome! (and politely begged for --- see the comment section? leave 'em there")

Biting the boob, ahem, the hand* that feeds.

♩♪♫ sing it with me now.... ♩♪ All night long... all night! All night loooong! ♪♫

Last week we got to sleep through the night. Every beautiful night of the week. Mind you we're still getting up with Penelope at 5am but a night of glorious uninterrupted sleep is what ever parent longs for. 

Until it stops.

I feel like we were conditioned for the wake ups after enduring them for 11 months. And then, once we were home from Europe, the jet lag had her only waking once a night for a week. That was lovely. And manageable.

So today... today I'm a mess. Mostly because I got spoiled from her sleeping through the night for 5 nights in a row. So by the fourth fussy wake up last night, I had a hard time handling it. It was like my body didn't really know what to do at 4am as the screaming from P's nursery got louder. The cries of protest from my nipples replaced hers as I tried to nurse her enough to calm her. 

I hate weaning.

More so, I hate weaning while teething. When she does get a little boob she has decided to channel a snapping turtle. Even through the stern no's and taking boob away from her, she continues to bite me. My right nipple is so sensitive right now I swear I will cry if anyone brushes up against it. Maybe she's just pissed about not getting it when she wants it now. Maybe she's just trying to cut the tooth... it doesn't really matter.

There's a saying about about biting the boob that feeds you right?

It's time. 

Less boob - more vegetables.