Young children frequently hit. At this age, they do not really understand it hurts others. They often do it because they feel overwhelmed with negative emotions. Sometimes young children hit to tell others to back off. When your child hits, hold his/her hand and say 'no, no!!,' firmly and then quickly turn away and move on to something else without any more discussion. You can also teach your child other ways to say 'back off.' You can teach him/her to hold his hand up, like saying 'Stop,' when someone is too close or he is uncomfortable. Praise your child when he or she gets mad and uses his or her voice without hitting.