No hit alligator
As I've mentioned, my toddler has a tendency to hit people. One of the ways we've been trying to prevent these hits is by rehearsing before we get in a group, "No hit Ian, No hit Gracie, no hit Maeve, no hit Ruby." Sort of a mantra, it relieves my stress a tad. So we went to Florida in January. We stopped by the Everglades, which are a truly marvelous piece of the planet.
We were on a trail with exotic birds literally every 5 feet. Giant prehistoric looking Gar fish leapt from the water. Turtles here and there. In the water, on the other side of the bog, a few alligators apparently napped. The kids seemed pretty excited by all this activity (the toddler also seemed pretty excited by the water fountain, to be fair), and we walked around a bit. We were going down a path, and suddenly the toddler's bright cheery voice rang out, "No hit alligator!" He's about a foot or two from a giant living alligator, swinging his arms about, and saying, confidently, "Say hi the alligator!" My heart rate doubled, and I snatch him away from the vicious animal, saying, calmly, "That's right, no hit the alligator."
Whew, that was close.
For the record, the only strategy for hitting that seems to be working is "If there are other children around, stay within 18 inches of him at all times, and wait for him to grow up." When I see conflicts emerging, I try to provide words for him to say, and one hopes that will help him when he's able to use words more routinely. If it's a very good friend with whom we have a record of peaceful playdates, I'll relax a little bit. The rehearsal thing allows me to think he has good intentions. Although, watching him yell or wave his fist at each and every toddler that comes into his sensory range, makes me wonder sometimes. He'll throw his fist, I'll yell, "Say Hi!", he'll bellow aggressively "Hi!" And the other kid is already aware that something is not right.
So mostly we stick to child and alligator free areas, especially now that this luscious spring is here. We throw rocks in the most lovely Rock Creek (the bit just north of where Aspen Road comes into the Parkway) and Sligo Creek.