7month old hair pulling & skin grabbing

[monkeysmama]

My 7 month dd has developed a habit of pulling clumps of my hair. It sounds mildly amusing at first perhaps but it hurts and is getting worse every day. She now reguarly pulls clumps of my hair out and I currently have a scratch on my eye lid and top lip from her skin grabbing.

She's an adorable little thing and isn't trying to hurt me. She occasionally does it to other people but always to me - like it is a comfort to her. She grabs my hair and pulls my head close to her.

My partner shouts "ouch" when she hurts him (accidentally of course) and she starts to cry but nothing I try has worked so far.

I've tried the "ouch", putting her down for a second, telling her "no".... I am bfing on demand and we're very "close" - I think she knows no boundaries between my body and hers.

I am at a bit of a loss now but combined with not sleeping much it is really getting to me.

MM

Exact same problem here! I am not bfing anymore though so it isn't necessarily related to that.

Keep up a firm 'No' and eventually she'll learn. I would also try distraction or a replacement thing to pinch and grab that you give everytime she does it.

Sowhat - how old is your LO?

Divineintervention - Can you think of anything I can use as a replacement (apart from a wig - she could be very if she gave my hair a tug and the whole thing came off!!)? I have tried a cuddly toy but she only wants me so far.

My DD is 7 months also. I have been saying No in a firm voice but she hasnt caught on yet!

Anything really, perhaps if you have something sparkly/noisy that you ooo, aaahh and go crazy about???

btw, she may not know that you are two beings.

I have the same problem with my 7 mo DD too! Ha ha maybe this is a developmental stage they are going through! Oh and I am not bfing either.

My DD was deadly at this too, DS not so much - perhaps it is more a girl thing?

Can't remember where I found it, but I read that you need to say "No" firmly then put then down on the floor or somewhere safe and do something completely different for short period (pick up book, get drink etc). Slowly they associate their behaviour with losing your attention so becomes less desirable.

Seemed to work for us anyway.

My DS2 grabs my nose hard, pinches my arms in a tender kind of manner but then squeezes really hard with his nails, hooks his thumb inside my mouth and then grabs my bottom lip and yanks...

Grrr.

He is nearly a year. He thinks he is sooooo funny .

He's a nice lad otherwise.

Any of the "I'm in the same boat" posters found a solution yet? I had almost a day's respite using a special scarf with dangly bits on it she could pull but she eventually pulled it off me and went back to pulling on clumps of my hair .