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My son is only 11 months, but has also started doing this. I initially was doing the 'be gentle' thing and taking his hand and showing him how to touch nice. It was getting me nowhere and the frequency was increasing. Since then I've started to cry 'ow' when he does it, and I immediately put him down and kind of make a show of tending to whatever part of my body he hit, and then coming back and telling him that hurt and something about playing nicely. For some kids that doesn't work either and they'll laugh, but for my son it has helped taper down the hitting. And if it's another kid I would pay a lot of attention to the child being hit before saying anything to yours, that way if he's looking for attention through hitting, he's not getting it. Assuming it's an actual hit and not just reaching out to touch them.

The problem I ran into with hitting (when my son was into this) was that it was very difficult for me to decide what to do in the moment, because some parents would glare at me when my son did this, others wouldn't flinch.

So I had to decide in advance and handle each hitting episode the same, because I was confusing my son. I'd literally remove him, as in pick him up and move him to another area and then explain why I did that. He got it, eventually, but man, it was tough times (on me!!!).

LO does this to me sometimes (she doesn't do it hard, but it's clearly a tactic she's using since she only hits me when she's mad because I'm making her do something she doesn't want to do like go to bed (oh the horror!)), and I take her hands and calmly tell her (never yell) that "we don't hit people because it isn't nice and it hurts them. You hurt mommy when you hit and it makes me sad." Usually lo's eyes well up with tears and I hug her and feel like a giant asshole for a few hours

I did time outs with hitting with my oldest. Luckily he really only (and barely) hit me when he was around 15 months old. Now, with my youngest who just turned 2, he hits! With his hands, elbows, and will kick me too! That little booger! Soooo... I started time outs with him as soon as he started hitting and he still does, but he knows now that he shouldn't b/c I can see him hesitate. Or he'll do the motion but not his me or his brother. I think with time outs in the same place and consistency between everyone in our household he will get better and he actually has if he's at a point where he does the motion but doesn't actually hit us. That's the only advice I can give. They eventually outgrow this behaviour but it's good to nip it in the bud early on. I really do feel your pain....

@Jenn23: I think an important part is to not only tell him no hitting but to take his hands and gently stroke your face and say "we use gentle hands. It make mommy so happy when you use your gentle hands". This has worked with my daughter in the sense that when she hits I immediately say "please use your gentle hands, can you show me your gentle hands" and she does soft touches to me or whoever it was she was hitting.

@MamaMoose: totally! That's a good point too. Show him gentle hands. I find saying no makes things negative or confusing but showing them what they CAN do makes it better.

@Jenn23: And what I do when I get him after time out is that I tell him that he can't hit and as he got older he started to say "uh huh" b/c that's what he says for "yes." And I tell him to say "sorry" as well. I know your LO isn't talking yet but what helped was me teaching him to say, "sorry" first, and then teaching him to say "sorry I hit you (or whoever)" as his vocabulary started to increase. And before we leave the time out spot I hug him and I tell him that I love him and that's why he's in time out. I guess I do that to reassure my kids that I'm not doing it b/c I don't love them. My oldest really gets it now.

All of this takes time and A LOT of patience. And what works for me may not work for you b/c all kids are different. My boys are SO different but my discipline ways are the same and I adjust based on age. For example their ability to speak and understand. I have to work harder with my youngest to help him understand what he did was wrong and I ask him to say "sorry for (whatever he did)" in hopes that one day he will understand. That's what I did with my oldest and it has helped. And, again, this is really just a phase b/c they are not able to communicate with us fully!

I think you are doing things right. If the gentle approach doesn't work, I always go back to something stronger like time outs. I ALWAYS explain why the behavior isn't right and what he can do instead. If he continues, I remove him from the situation and he goes immediately to time out.