DD 8 months keeps scratching and pulling peoples hair

[kbaby]

Anyone know how I can stop her doing this?

Ive tried telling her no, but I dont think she really understands what im saying. She pulls my hair and I take it out of her hand and say no. She is facinated with peoples faces. It becomes a problem when we are around other babies. When I sit her next to them she lunges for their face or hair and makes them cry BY scraming them or inadvertantly poking them. I know she doesnt realise that it hurts but im embarrased by her bahaviour. I dont know how to stop her doing it or should I just ignore it and shell realise once shes a bit older that its not a nice thing to do?

[pixiefish]

my dd did this. i spent a lot of time teaching her to stroke instead- used a specific word for it and whenever she pulled hair etc i said the word and got her to stroke

[albosmum]

my 9 month old does it too plus bites I keep saying no and be gentle I can only hope it improves

[canuckmom]

Hi, my DD son (now diagnosed ADHD with severe impulsivity) did this until about 2.6 years, despite all my efforts to not make a face, teach him to stroke gentle, nothing made a difference until he got old enough to realize the other kids didn't want to be near him, then he just stopped. We also made him sit on another chair, sofa fromus if he did it.

[handlemecarefully]

This is so normal at this age. Don't sweat the small stuff

Worry more if she is still doing this when older (well over 1)

[handlemecarefully]

In fact, I would think it a bit wierd if an 8 month old didn't do this!

[kbaby]

Thanks everyone although Canuckmon's thread has worried me slightly and now im panicking in case shes showing signs of being autistic. I hope it is just a normal part of development.

[ImuststopdrinkingBlossomhill]

Kbaby - if I remember rightly you were worried about autism when your dd was a newborn. Is that right?

[californiagirl]

Almost all the babies at DD's daycare do this at about this age. They spend a lot of time saying "No biting! Biting hurts! Be gentle" and demonstrating gentle touches. (Actually, with biting, they also provide things that are OK to bite.) Some babies do it more than others and for longer -- DD never did much and has almost completely stopped at 11 months, while the oldest baby, who's nearly 14 months, is still violence-prone.

[goreousgirl]

If I went to a group with my ds 9mths, I would expect to move him away from another baby lunging for his face, and I would attempt to restrain him doing the same, and would expect that baby's mum to restrain/help too. All totally normal!

[DaddyCool]

our 19mth old does this but it was certainly worse at 8mths. we had to be quite tough and yell 'no scratching' 'no biting' etc and put him down on the floor (it felt like we were training a dog ). He's starting to realise that he's not to do it and if you manage to say no just before he tries, he tends to back off. he gave me some nasty bruises and scrapes!

[kbaby]

Imuststopdrinkingblossomhill, yes it was me. I supose its one of those things that I cant help looking for signs for. No real reason to believe that DD isnt anything apart from normal. Im not sure why its autisum that bothers me. I suppose its the fact that she was born healthy and i want the best for her.
Im glad that others los also were like this. At first I thought it was a stage, but shes been like it for 3 months now. If my friends lo's were similar i would just put it down to being one of those things, but they are so laid back in comparison it got me thinking that perhaps she was extreme.