head-banging toddler - just started doing this!

[lunarx]

ds, almost 22 months, has started to bang his head. now i thought this was because i told him no and he was reacting, but now i am thinking it is because he is maybe feeling he isnt getting enough attention. (for example, we were at a friends house today and he did it and i hadn't scolded him.) he does it and cries out loudly. and its distressing!

any experience, advice on how to handle this. i dont know now if i should ignore it like a tantrum or try to distract him when he does it.

thanks:)

Hi
No experience...but did watch 'baby whisperer' on this and she suggested putting toddle on big cushion or bean bag every time s/he started head banging. No talking to them or anything, just pick up and move to 'safe' place. Eventually the toddler would take themselves to the safe place when they felt angry/upset...

there was a thread on this a few weeks back, my ds started doing it at 14month and still doing it at 18months. theres really nothing you can do, it is attention/frustration. my ds nutts windows, doors, tables, the floor, anything really. i used to get panicky but now i just watch and wait, when he nutts too hard it shocks him too stop. sounds terrible but theres nothing else i can do other than wait for him to grow out of it. have to say, hes not as bad as he was

All of my children went through a stage of doing this at 20ish months old. It was very clear (IME) they were doing it just to see what it felt like. It didn't take them too long to sotop. I just used to say "don't be so silly" move them a bit and then walk away and do something else.

thanks ladies... we've taken to just ignoring it, not looking at him or anything when he does it.. he will eventually learn that it hurts and gets no reaction.

although i am worried he will do it at any of the toddler groups we attend :(