ds thinks hurting is "funny"

[Think of Winter]

Almost every time I tell my ds that something he did hurt me or our dog, he says "that's funny," and says it repeatedly, like I'm not getting it. I try hard to get him to understand that certain things can hurt, like throwing things at the dog, or elbowing me in my pregnant tummy. It is very frustrating. Any thoughts?

[bass chick]

I'm sorry I'm not much help, but my DS (23 months) reacts very similarly. He rarely hits when he is mad anymore (thank goodness!) but he motions it and stops himself before impact. But sometimes, especially when I am changing his diaper, he may kick me in the stomach. Not only does it hurt me, but it worries me because I am pregnant as well. When I tell him we don't kick because it hurts, owie!! he just laughs and says "Funny!" or something else. One thing I have tried with success is to exaggerate my response by pretending to cry. (with the pregnancy hormones I am usually on the verge of crying anyways, so it is not difficult.) Sometimes he thinks it funny, but most of the time he stops and is still and is just watching me. When I stop crying, he says, "Do again?" very seriously as if he wants to observe my response again.
When he has hit me in the past I just correct him by telling him it hurts and then acting hurt myself. With the hitting, he now immediately comes to me and strokes my arm or face and says "I sorry I hit mommy. Mommy ok? I sorry." But kicking is another story. I wonder if it has to do with us teaching him to kick a ball. Maybe he cannot differentiate? I dunno.
My only suggestion is to exaggerate your response and cry. But in a way it makes me feel manipulative, and I don't like that. But I have no other ideas to get him to understand how it makes me feel.

[The4OfUs]

Another toddler/preggo mama here.....I think it really comes down to the fact that they still don't really "get it" - I mean, they're only 2, and most of the time they are reactign to our reaction...especially if we're normally very even tempered (as most GD parents are) and then because they HIT (or kick) us, wow! what a different reaction! I'm not hip on the overreaction thing, I worry that it will rub off on him and he's so....enthusiastic ....already, I don't want to have him think it's OK to play up emotions really big for sympathy, either - I'm not trying to squelch his emotions, just trying to help him gain perspective. Kids live what they learn for the most part.

I've gone the opposite way. He rarely does this anymore, usually only occasionally when he's tired and I'm changing his diaper, that seems to be the only time, and his seems to be a kicking thing too.... and some here may not like my suggestion, but it's working for us.

I just say in a low, slow, serious voice, "That hurts. Please stop." or "It's NOT OK to kick me." and if he won't stop ramming his legs, quite frankly, I'll hold them away from me so he can't get to me (I'm preventign myself from beign kicked, basically). Usually I just have to put my hand on his leg and he stops - but one night a few weeks ago he was super tired (happened in an instant!) and he just wouldn't stop....so I picked him up and we went into a different room, diaperless, to short circuit his freak out. 2 minutes later he happily, willingly let me put his diaper on him...while I did it, I told him that I didn't appreciate him kicking me, that it hurt, and that I don't like it. and that was it.

I think at this point, the consistency (and trying to intercept the actual blow) and the minimal but serious reaction is doing it for us. I'm not comfortable ignoring physical aggression (I'm more comfortable ignoring verbal aggression as they 'test' language) so I try to make it as bare bones, but serious, as possible.