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Toddler hitting herself

  • 24-01-2011 7:08pm
    #1
    Grawns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,170 ✭✭✭


    God! My little one ( 2 very soon) is going through a sudden and very annoying stage where she has started hitting herself whenever she is fruastrated or reprimanded. It started with her hitting Daddy but we came down like a ton of bricks, "that's a big NO NO, no hitting", and she stopped doing it. But few days later took to hitting herself in the head. Not very hard but I hate it!

    Any advice on whether to ignore it as it's attention seeking or comfort her ( even when she's being naughty). I honestly don't know what to do!

    She's eating very well and sleeping very well and isn't sick. She's been such a good child up to now this has kind of thrown me.


Comments

  • #2
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    They all go through this, I suggest distracting her when she starts.


  • #3
    Kimono-Girl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,160 ✭✭✭Kimono-Girl


    Grawns wrote: »
    God! My little one ( 2 very soon) is going through a sudden and very annoying stage where she has started hitting herself whenever she is fruastrated or reprimanded. It started with her hitting Daddy but we came down like a ton of bricks, "that's a big NO NO, no hitting", and she stopped doing it. But few days later took to hitting herself in the head. Not very hard but I hate it!

    Any advice on whether to ignore it as it's attention seeking or comfort her ( even when she's being naughty). I honestly don't know what to do!

    She's eating very well and sleeping very well and isn't sick. She's been such a good child up to now this has kind of thrown me.


    i could have written this word for word, :eek:

    our daughter is 18 months since the 6th of jan and has started this lately if we don't let her do what she wants, she will throw herself to the floor and hit her head. its hard enough to make her cry even more.

    we at the moment are hugging her (while making sure she is ok) should we be ignoring this? she was perfectly behaved until this started...it came out of nowhere, mostly when she doesn't get her own way.


  • #4
    faw1tytowers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 486 ✭✭faw1tytowers


    My 3 year old is doing same. We just say calm down and figure out the problem saying "we dont hit, dont get angry" and distract him sith something else. Its happening less often now.


  • #5
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    Ah the terrible two's... My 2 year old bangs her head off the wall... I just move her away from the wall... temper tantrums are hard to control and it doesn't help when she goes "But I'm sad" and puts on the lip... grrr...


  • #6
    Grawns
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,170 ✭✭✭Grawns


    January wrote: »
    Ah the terrible two's... My 2 year old bangs her head off the wall... I just move her away from the wall... temper tantrums are hard to control and it doesn't help when she goes "But I'm sad" and puts on the lip... grrr...

    She told me yesterday she was sad :eek: And started hitting her head first thing this morning when I didn't get her out of her cot on command. I guess we're bang on target for the terrible two's. I need a nap :)

    I'm decided to ignore it for the most part and see what happens.


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  • #7
    inigo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 650 ✭✭✭inigo


    Word for word too!!! Our's is 19 months. He gets frustrated and looks for something to hit his head against, table, floor, mummy... It may be a way to vent his frustration, and so I think it is healthy, particularly if we take into account that he cannot explain himself yet. So we try to put ourselves in his shoes (a great exercise for life in general, more so in parenting), we will let him do his thing but making sure he doesn't hurt himself in the process. In our case it only lasts a few bumps after which a bit of tlc and sweet words is all that's needed for him to get back in a good mood. If we try to hold him it only gets worse... I'm sure it's just another phase that will pass! :)


  • #8
    annetted
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 206 ✭✭annetted


    our little man does the exact same. distraction is probably the best way to go. try saying something like its not nice to hurt your little head..
    lots of cuddles does help him too.


  • #9
    Squiggler
    Closed Accounts Posts: 945 ✭✭✭Squiggler


    My niece did this for a while when she was a toddler. She would hit herself on the head with her fists, bang her head off furniture, walls, the floor... it was her way of taking out her frustration. When we watched her carefully we realised that she did it when someone misunderstood what she was trying to communicate (whether by accident or as a form of teasing) or when she wasn't being allowed to do something she really wanted to do.

    We started being more careful in our communication with her and explaining the reasons she could or couldn't do things rather than just issuing directions and that improved things a lot. Once she was able to communicate better she stopped doing it altogether.


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