Is my toddler a bully?

[laurag]

dd is 18 months and has really started to voice her opinions about the world. I have no problem with that, but it seems most of her opinions are things like "mine", "no", "ouch" (which means the same as no, not really pain) and the like. She can be pretty rough sometimes and resorts to hitting and even biting. She certainly does not see or experience that kind of behavior from anyone in her life. The other day at toddler swimming, she even pushed a little boy in the wading pool and took his toy away. I know a certain amount of aggression is probably normal at this age, but is she becoming a bully? I always use redirection, distraction or simple explanations with her when this kind of behavior comes up, but I am starting to worry that maybe she is inclined to be an aggressive kid?

[dotcommama]

Sounds like a normal toddler to me

I would just continue to re-direct and show her how to appropriately interact with other children. She'll catch on.

[benwood]

I think that some kids are just more assertive than others. Just keep reinforcing her positive behavior and redirecting her negative behavior. She'll catch on eventually.

[LiminalOne]

I also think there's a major personality component, but maybe she's feeling a little bit disconnected prior to being "aggressive." You might be able to ask her if anything's going on if sh'e verbal yet. Someone recommended this website to me which you might find helpful. It talks about emotional discharging http://www.parentleaders.org/articles/Policies.html

Good luck