[dropcap]Q: [/dropcap]Why does my four-year-old get angry at me and hit me after my husband and I go away for the weekend? He is left in very good hands with my parents, who love him very much.
[dropcap]A: [/dropcap]A child at this age feels that he is the center of the universe and that he controls the world. When you disappear, he can’t understand what happened. On one level, he feels abandoned and helpless. On another level, he is angry. Your child is expressing his anger. Kids will usually ignore a parent when they return, be oppositional or even – as in your case – get physical. But this behavior soon disappears. The best way to handle it is to be respectful of his feelings. Let him blow off all the steam he needs to. Within 24 to 36 hours things will be back to normal.
