10 month old "hitting"

[Amanda1]

I'm wondering if this is normal or not and what do I do about it...

My 10 month old DS is the happiest, most well behaved baby I've ever seen, he is also very stubborn ( I blame it on daddy's side )

The issue is he has started slapping or hitting me and DH when he is mad or frustrated. He'll reach out and hit our faces, or my boobs (while nursing).

Now I know he doesn't intend to hurt us or even really know what hes doing but its not a good habit and it can hurt.

I have tried ignoring it (not easy), grabbing his hand (gently) and telling him not to hit and we are now trying to tell him to be gentle and stroking his hand on my face in a gentle way

Any other momma experience this? What did you do about it?

[Knitting Mama]

Totally normal. Remember, even when babies can understand our words, it doesn't meant that they have the impulse control necessary to follow what you say. That doesn't develop for several years! Patience, repetition and consistency are your best friends here.

[katelove]

I just hold her hand and say "Gentle" or "Gentle pats" if she is loving the cat a bit too hard. I sometimes also guide her hand to gently pat the cat or my face or whatever.

[P.J.]

My baby (also 10 mo) starts flailing his arms about when he gets excited, so I get hit a lot too. With him it's not frustration but excitement. I think all we can do is just  gently say "no" or show them "gentle", although at this age they don't have the fine motor skills to control their hands like that. I usually just take his hand and say "Ow that hurts when you hit me"...and with the cats they just run away and I tell him "Sunny doesn't like to be hit like that, so she left". So far, all of that has no effect! I think we just have to wait until he can control himself better.