Customer Reviews

Hands Are Not for Hitting (Best Behavior)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book, and "The Way I Feel" in response to my almost 2 year old going through a hitting phase. I could not be more pleased with how this book (and the other) addresses the issue and proposes solutions for dealing with anger and frustration. My son LOVES acting out the things that hands can be used for. He sits through the whole book and often wants to read it again. He quotes catchy phrases that he remembers from the book. It is so interactive! I really think that it has made a difference in my son's behavior over the period of 3 weeks.

Hands Are Not For Hitting is a gentle, encouraging book for beginning readers that shows all the good things hands can do from playing, sharing, clapping, and counting, to helping, building, being kind, and staying safe. Kids will learn alternatives to hitting -- such as drawing pictures, jumping up and down, talking about feels, and simply walking away. Highly recommended, Hands Are Not For Hitting is an ideal "read aloud" book for parents and care givers, there is a special section devoted to ideas for things to talk about and activities grownups and kids can do together.

This book is in the category of picture books that gets read to children to teach a lesson (rather than being a simple story picture book). The title says it all but the back cover also gives a great summary (which you can view right here on Amazon). The pages are covered with ideas for what hands are to be used for (playing, working together) and then each page has numerous illustrating examples (building snowpeople, sandcastle, block tower, etc.). Over and over we hear that hands are not for hitting but they are for doing many positive things.

I am a homeschooling parent of a four-year-old who at times hits others. Our biggest problem though is bullying being done to him by others. I bought this to read to him as a reminder because for a while he was learning more from imitating his peers (hitting back) than listening to what his father and I were verbally teaching him. I figured having this book around the house could not hurt. My son likes to browse it himself and look at the pictures and I read it aloud from time to time. I don't read it a lot because since he rarely hits it is a little annoying to keep telling him something he already knows. However, this is published by a publisher focusing on books for teachers and schools. I think the best way this book could be used would be to read it aloud to groups of children because there is bound to be a child in attendance who may need a reminder. This would also be a great book for public libraries to have in their collection for parents to borrow.

The illustrations are cute and brightly colored. At the back of the book is a note to grown-ups about teaching non-violence to children. There are approximately 4 pages that list out additional activities and discussion questions to go along with each page of the book. There is also a listing of books that expand on various subjects touched on throughout this book. I can't think of any way that I'd improve upon it. Overall a great book on this important subject!

What a delightful learning book this is.
Full of bright, colorful illustrations that bring the point across without any confusion!
The author shares all the wonderful things hands are good for, playing, drawing, saying hello, to name a few of the many examples used in this read. . Just adorable!

I shared this book with my 3-year old granddaughter. I can tell you, it was a hit!
This is a sturdy, colorful, well constructed
book. A book that can take the abuse of a younger child and still stay in one piece. Not an easy feat!

A great book with a great lesson; one your child will treasure and read over and over again. Hands are NOT for hitting! I've learned my lesson, have you?

Recommended!

I read this book to my toddler when he started hitting and then reinforcing it by saying hands are not for hitting when ever he would hit. It really worked - he loved doing some of the fun things that hands are good for as we read along. I liked it that it focused on positive things to do with your hands while still enforcing that hitting is not what hands are for. Great book!

If children can just remember the title, that would be a greathelp. This is published by Free Spirit so you know it is good. Theyhave lots of good books written by people who work with helping children. [...] Learning Abilities Books [...] has a lot of good books about character development, anger management, LD, ADD, etc. Some of the books are for the children, themselves, to read.

I bought this book thinking it's for my 2 year old when really I read the cover and it said it was for kids from 4-7 years of age. So, right now I am going to save it til then!

This book is not only well written but also well illustrated. Instilling in children nonviolence and ways to avoid and deal with situations that arise with other playmates is so needed in today's society. My seven yr. old nephew couldn't put it down. He loved it and interacted as he read it.

To my great distress, my kindergarten age daughter suddenly began having issues with hitting. We've always emphasized empathy and gentleness so I was blown away when she began to hit her favorite friend at school.

In my search for stories about empathy, being gentle, etc. to reinforce why it is not OK to hit, I ran across this book and almost did not buy it. I thought it was more appropriate for the 2-4 year old set, when they're just beginning to learn about what is and is not okay behavior and why. However, the reviews made me go ahead and buy it.

Of the five books I bought about kindness and empathy THIS is the one that she had her daddy read to her over and over and that I actually saw her reading on her own on multiple occasions!!! She loved the book.

Somewhere between this book and the other corrective actions I was taking she has stopped hitting her friend (knock-on-wood!). Based on her intense interest in this particular book I cannot help but assume it absolutely played a part in that. Now I just hope it all sticks.

Don't hesitate to buy this even if you think your child might be a bit too old. It is very basic and simple, but sometimes that is the most effective approach.

Recommended!!

It only says 'Hands are not for hitting' once or twice. Most of the book gives the child positive things to do with their hands (which is good), but I was looking for something else, I guess.