Slap happy child

[Skysue]

Does anybody have any effective tips on how to get a child to stop slapping everyone else?

It's my own 16 month old who has recently started slapping the other kids or her older sister. Sometimes when she gets mad, sometimes just randomly. It is SO frustrating. I've been putting her in her crib when I notice her doing it as a 'time out' sort of deal. So far this hasn't worked.

Form my experience this behavior is learned so you really do need to keep a close eye, as more than likely one of the other kids maybe hitting the littlest ones. This happened in my daycare and when I found the culprit and stopped their behavior as well as the babies it worked like a charm!

I usually sit the babies on the ground and hold there hands together and say no, not nice no hitting. Then very genley rub there hands and say gentle & then show them with the bigger kids what gentle means. We hug a lot and it helps.