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brideonjuly8
member
toddler moms: hitting themselves?
brideonjuly8
member
DS has just recently started hitting himself in the head. Hard. He does it after I've told him not to do something. For instance, he knows better than to grab and pull on the lamp cords, and I've only lightly slapped his hand a few times for messing with them. I just caught him, and said "No No, Steven." and then he starts smacking himself on the head and then cries! I couldn't help but laugh the first few times he did this, but now it's starting to worry me that's it some underlying serious behavorial issue. We don't ever hit or spank him, and we don't hit each other (obviously) so I have no idea where he's getting this behavior from.
I'm hoping this is just a phase, but I've never seen any other toddler act like this before.
Anyone else's kid ever do this?
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Re: toddler moms: hitting themselves?
my nephew used to throw himself back as hard as he possibly could when he didn't get his way. He once threw himself back and hit the corner of my MIL's brick fireplace. He did that for a few months, I think and then just stopped.
I think it probably is a phase. A curious one. But a phase, nonetheless.
Jack used to do this.
This is what Harper did also.
Ugh, he does this, too. At least I know that's pretty common, but the hitting I don't like.
Julia would go about and hit her head on the hardest surface possible. If she found and tried the couch first, that was unsatisfactory so she would re-do it on the coffee table.
Oh, my fave was hitting her head on concrete, like the driveway or the floor of a restaurant. Just loved hearing that thunk.
She started when she started walking. She's over it now and has been for quite a while, so maybe up to 18 months>?
6-yr-old Elena and 4-yr-old Julia.
My Blog! All about my girls and quilting
I'm glad to hear it's just a phase then.
And I HATE it when he bonks his head on the concrete. 
This makes SO much sense. Thanks!!!
Ben is almost 2 and he'll still hit himself when he's really, really mad. So I don't know when they outgrow it. I did ask his pedi and the doc said that he doesn't have the verbal capacity to express himself with words yet, so hitting and pulling his hair are his way of letting you know that he's really PO'd.
BTW, they usually won't do it so hard that they hurt themselves consistently. It's really hard to watch, though.
While I do agree that it's a normal phase and not a real behavioural issue, I also had the followinf thoughts while reading your post:
- you said he does something he shouldn't, then you slap his hand.
- you said you don't ever hit or spank him, but you do slap his hand to tell him no. It's not the same thing but it is the same action.
He's only doing to himself what you're doing in this case, so I'm not surprised he's doing it. I'm 100% positive that's not the only reason he's doing it, but it does tend to reinforce the behaviour when he sees you doing it. I have no doubt he's doing it a lot harder to himself than you are too, so don't interpret this to mean I think you're smacking him around or anything. They just don't have the motor control to replicate the softness of what we adults do, esp when they are already upset.