To be really tearful. DS age 2 head-butted me

[LindaMcCartneySausage]

He came back from nursery tonight over-tired and hyper. My DM helped me to bath DS - she's giving me a hand because I'm 36+5 weeks pregnant and tired because DH is away. DS didn't want to get into his pyjamas, so he hit DM. I was very annoyed, so took him aside, knelt down, held his hands and told him, "No. We don't hit anyone. Say sorry to Granny". He wouldn't, looked me straight in the eye, said "No!" and then head butted me, causing me to cry and a slight nosebleed

I'm really upset and teary. Hormones, I know, but I'm also shocked. My nose hurts. He does occasionally hit, like, I suppose, most toddlers when they're v frustrated, but never a head butt!

Ds1, now aged 8 did this once when I followed Tanya Byron's advice to hold him from behind in a kind of bear hug when he was flailing around in the middle of a tantrum. Very shocking at the time, but I don't think there was any malice behind it as such, he was in a strop and his head was the only part of his body that was still in use, so to speak, as I was holding his arms.
Not very helpful, sorry. Hopefully it's a one off.

Oh you poor thing. I sympathise. I'm 39 weeks pregnant and about a month or two ago DS who is also 2 went through a phase of being very angry, especially at me. I got a few (quite good) right hooks delivered after bath.

I don't know if it's related to the impending arrival of DS2 or not but it seemed to be a stage he needed to go through and it didn't last long. Makes you feel horrible when they lash out at you but I just kept thinking how confusing the whole idea of another child arriving was for him.

Hope your DS is now snuggled up in bed looking angelic and best wishes.

How does he even know what a headbutt is?! How odd. Hope you're ok and he sleeps off the hyper!

I don't think he does know what a head butt is exactly. It was just that I was holding his hands while asking him to apologise to his DGM and it was the only bit of him free to lash out with annoyance. It was so unexpected.

Can't believe how tearful I am. Feel a bit better that it happened to other people too.

Floggingmolly - I'm going to look up Tanya Bryan's coping methods. Thank you. I didn't feel equipped to deal with it. He went straight to bed with no story.

ouch it really hurts doesn't it, and comes as an awful shock.

oh they know what a head butt is. if you have their arms and legs they use the only other appendage available. I have seen ds size me up first then give me head butt. I have since learned to hold him so his head bangs against my arms or chest, his legs flail uselessly in the air, and both hnds aare restrained.... aautistic melt down after school and a flailing arm resulted in a black eye once, handful of hair grabbed anotherr time and when younger he managed to dig chunks out of my face...

it is horrible having to restrain him but he would run into the road, attack his sister or any other random person passing by. not good if it is another child in school!

Pre-schooler heads are hard!

Of course he didn't mean to hurt you, he was just overtired and all over the shop, like they get.

Hope you feel better soon

YANBU any sort of bump to the nose is truly horrible.I think you need a virtual
It is utterly pointless trying to have any sort of meaningful conversation with a hyper and over tired 2 YO.I would have wrapped him in a towel and gently carried him to bed,laid him down, switched the light off and shut the door

Thanks for your kind words everyone. Feel a lot better this morning . although my nose is still v tender!

There's no reasoning with an over-tired toddler! I'll know to stay out the way of DS's hard little head the next time I have to tell him off!

Socharlottet - exactly. DS was carried upstairs and put straight into bed with no story - he was already in his pyjamas. And he immediately dropped off to sleep with exhaustion!

MY older DS does this, or similar

happens in the evening when he is tired and emotonal

not headbutting but he wll hit me.lash out

IT ENRAGES ME!!!!

its tough. but normal?

xxxxxx

DS did this once at that age. It sounds very odd, but i found it very hard to forgive and i think he spent the next few hours playing by himself while i calmed myself down. I was just so upset and shocked.
I think you do have to remember, at the age of 2, he is still very little and still learning how to control his emotions. You need to be clear and firm that the behaviour isn't acceptable. The tantrums will pass and hopefully he will have learnt his lesson about headbutting.
Hope your face gets better soon!