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If you know what situations cause aggressive behavior in your child, you can be proactive in preventing the behavior. You can try to prepare the child for a new situation or let others around you know not to startle or upset your child until they are used to the situation.  For example, if you are going to take your child to a group gathering, you may want to play pretend to help them get used to the group situation. Place a bunch of dolls or stuffed animals around and lead your toddler around as you introduce them to your child. Have your child pack a bag and pretend to be going away to grandma's for the weekend to get used to the idea of being away from you. You may want to explain to the people at the gathering that they shouldn’t try to hug or touch your child until the child is familiar with them. If your child feels aggressive when their daily situations change, you should let them know the change is coming so it won’t be out of the blue. This helps mentally prepare the child for what is coming and reduce the aggressive behavior. If you know that you are going to have to go to the store soon and your child will have to stop playing, you should let them know. For example, you can say, “You can play for 10 more minutes, then we have to get ready to leave.” You should watch your child as they play for any aggressive behavior. Your child may be playing in an aggressive way, which may eventually become physical aggression. Tell your child not to play that way so that they know aggressive actions are not tolerated.  For example, if your child has their dolls hitting each other, you may say, “Your dolls don’t hit each other. It’s not good to hit others.” You may try suggesting a non-violent alternative. Say, “Dolls love and hug each other.” Letting your toddler witness violence may make them think it’s okay to be aggressive. This may be a problem if you have older children who watch certain movies or television shows or play video games. Be careful what toys you let your children play with. Consider limiting the amount of violent toys you let them have.  Be careful which programs are on the television when your child is around. This includes movies, television shows, and even the news. Some cartoons are violent, so monitor what your child watches. This includes violence between other members of the household. Seek help if you are concerned about violence in your home.
Try to anticipate the aggressive behavior. Prepare your child for change. Watch out for aggressive playing. Limit exposure to violence.