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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Head banging

12 replies

Nutcracker · 13/05/2004 11:35

I think i've mentioned in another thread that my Ds (17mths) has an awful temper.
The thing that worries me most is his head banging. If he doesn't get his own way he will deliberatly bang his head either on the window, wall or floor (carpeted or not). At first it seemed quite funny (he's been doing it for ages)as he didn't do it that hard, but now he will do it repeatedly unless you stop him, and it gets harder and harder with every bang.

I know alot of kids do this but wondered how long it usually lasts for as he's ben doing it for about 10 mths now and it's got worse not better.
If i didn't physically stop him i think he'd really hurt himself.

I'm just not sure what to do about it really.

OP posts:

Original poster

Nutcracker · 13/05/2004 11:54

Anyone ??? He's just done it again, bashing it on the kitchen floor really hard. He now has a lump on his forhead.

OP posts:

Ixel · 13/05/2004 12:04

Saw an episode of baby whiperer on this. She suggested a beanbag... pick the child up while its mid-bang, plonk it on the beanbag, and let it carry on till the tizzy's over. After a few days, the kid in the programme was actually going to the beanbag of its own accord. Then the banging got less and less.There was a bit more to it than that; perhaps see if you can get the book from the library? Or, if you've got cable telly, it'll be on again soon, as they're so good at repeats.

Ixel · 13/05/2004 12:05

Whoops... thats supposed to say whisperer.. its my typing, not my spelling!

Fio2 · 13/05/2004 12:09

nutty dont worry my ds does it aswell, my nephew used to do it too. If its any concolation I have found my son much harder, with temper, than my daughter

Original poster

Nutcracker · 13/05/2004 12:11

Oooh thats a relief.
That bean bag idea sounds great Ixel. I will definatly try that, and look in the library for the book.

OP posts:

lars · 13/05/2004 12:32

Nutcracker my ds 6 and half used to do this and sometimes still does. usually out of frustation and attention when someting hasn't gone his way.

I'm sure ds will grow out of it- don't worry!! Try the bean bag for protection, but normally they don't hurt themselves that much.

lemonice · 13/05/2004 12:46

They do do some strange things to gain attention and/or deal with anger and frustration. I was worried about dd1 injuring herself as she combined head banging with rushing around in a demented way, even jumping into the (empty) bath which normally when not hysterical she couldn't get into and literally running into walls and doors. i used to have to grab her, sit her on my lap facing away from me with her arms tucked under mine and rock her and sing until she calmed down. I had to be careful as she used to bite at the same time. no idea why she did it and eventually she stopped.
(probably couldn't stand my singing)
Dd2 used to stand still and fall backwards like a tree being felled which was also both worrying and impossible to prevent.

CountessDracula · 13/05/2004 12:50

Nutty my dd does this. The other day she headbutter dh's knee and it really hurt, she seems to have calmed down a bit since!

I wouldn't worry

Furball · 13/05/2004 13:06

Oooh I've got a headbanger! DS is now 2.9 and has done this for at least a year. If he's not happy he'll suddenly drop to his knees and starting gently at first, will get harder and harder until he thinks I think he's hurt himself and comes to me crying. I always tell him, he can have a kiss and cuddle anytime but he isn't getting one for that. DH is more sympathetic, which is probably why DS is still doing it, although it is less and less now, maybe once a fortnight. Great what they get up to isn't it?

luckymum · 13/05/2004 16:10

Nutty my ds2 used to do this too - from about 9 months he found he could stand in his cot and headbang on the corner post when he didn't want to sleep. It just escalated from there until he did it whenever he couldn't have his own way or had a strop on. He had a permanent bruise in the middle of his forehead! Finally gave it up at about 3 I think.

shrub · 13/05/2004 16:21

my ds1 did this, i took him to a cranial osteopath in the end who worked wonders - he completely surrendered to the treatment and fell asleep in my arms and then fell asleep for 4 hours when we got home. had another 2 treatments cost £28 a time. i also realised it could also be my temper that was teaching him to react like this (all the family is highly strung!) so i have tried very hard to be calm. also when he has had these tantrums i realise they could have been avoided - hunger, tiredness, frustration etc. we took him swimming which i think helped and put him in the bath to wind down if he began to show the signs.. now grown out of it as he is 4 - he did this until he was about 2. cranial osteopath said he was doing it to release tension, so i had to help him learn another way.

logic · 14/05/2004 11:52

My ds went through a brief headbanging phase at about the same age. We dealt with it by ignoring it completely, even when he was banging his head on the wood flooring. He never actually hurt himself.

It was pure attention seeking and when it wasn't having the desired effect, he stopped after a few weeks.

Nutcracker, there's a section about it in Toddler Taming, the Dr Christopher Green book and it really helped us. Good luck!

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