Why does my son keep banging his head on things on purpose?!

[bohemianbint]

DS is 15 months and he often picks something up and bashes his head with it, or bangs his head on a wall or a door. He seems to find it really amusing.

At first I just let him do it because I assumed if he realised it hurt he might stop doing it. Doesn't seem to be working like that though and he often has little bruises on his head.

What can I do? Will he grow out of it? Is this normal behaviour?

[bohemianbint]

bump! (no pun intended...)

[BethAndHerBrood]

DS2 does this too. He's 17 months. I've seen other kids do it as well, but DS1 never did. I'm ignoring it too, but I'm that kind of mother.

It wont do any harm I don't think. It's a phase. The first of many...........

[bohemianbint]

Cheers Beth! I was getting a bit worried it was odd behaviour in manner of dancing bears, only he laughs while he's doing it...

[iwouldgoouttonight]

My DS does that too (he's also 15 months) and also finds it very amusing. If he can't find anything to hit himself with he just hits his head with his hands! I don't understand it either but have assumed he will eventually grow out of it!

[BoysAreLikeReindeer]

Bohemianbint, do you laugh or rush to him when he does the head-banging?
It occurred to me that it could be one of those things that children do because it gets a response?
Just a thought

[bohemianbint]

Boys - sometimes I ignore him, other times I look at him and say "ouch!" but I've stopped that as that makes him laugh too. I'm generally ignoring it, I just feel bad because sometimes he really whacks himself hard! His head, I suppose...

Good to see other people's nippers do this too!

[BoysAreLikeReindeer]

If it's any consolation my DS1 did headbanging as part of his tantrums, he would go into the kitchen and bang on the hard floor, silly boy.

(a long LONG time ago, gawd)

[littleboo]

This also happened to my ds2 ( now 3) but was constantly head banging everything, and I mean everything - floor, cot, walls, chair - anything that seemed to be hardest and most upseting (for me) place to do it. Sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards. All advice given to me was to ignore it, which is really hard but will work.
Ours got so bad that I actually considered getting one of those boxing helmets to put on him.
Now aged 3 .... no sign of it, so believe its just a phase.

[bohemianbint]

Littleboo - I laughed when you said that re boxing helmets cos I had exactly the same thought the other day! Good to hear that they grow out of it.

[littleboo]

sure he will grow out of it boheimian, but it is really hard to watch them do it. Good luck and keep calm.

[Smithagain]

DD2 did it. I started by ignoring it. Then when she got a bit bigger (18mo?) I started trying to distract her, and/or saying "don't do that, it hurts", but not making any fuss.

She's two now - I can't remember when she last did it. Although she still thinks flinging herself full length onto the floor is absolutely hilarious, so she does appear to have a rather high pain threshold