Toddler hits head on wall/floor - how to react?

[Anewmum2018]

My 2 yo headbutts the wall or floor whenever he’s cross or doesn’t get what he wants. Normally I’d ignore a tantrum, but he can really whack himself and has almost constant bruises on his forehead. I’m worried he’ll really hurt himself, so I usually pick him up when he starts.
Has anyone had this and how did you stop it? Or is it just a phase that will pass?

Is there anything specific that sets him off?

Dd started banging her head on the wall at a similar age. I looked up what to do and it said to ignore it and it did stop. Might have been on the NHS site that it said that. She's now 16 and lovely. Just one of those shortlived funny phases!

Sorry i skimmed through and missed that he bruises himself. I don't think dd did so not sure the advice still stands

Raising my voice usually works as discipline. A “How dare you!” puts a stop to most behaviour and discourages a repeat because he doesn’t like being told off.

Bean bag? I wouldn't react other than to pick him up and place him on the bean bag every time he decided to hit his head. I know someone who did this and in the end, after a long slog (think of naughty step putting back and getting up kind of slog) during times of frustration, her son would take himself over to the head bag, head butt it and calm down.

Interestingly he stopped at the same time as he had a huge jump in his expressive language.

He will stop, it is only a phase. DS did this for a while, much younger though . When I saw him getting angry I would try to intervene quickly and I would say, "I see you are getting cross, let's have a jiggle" and I would take both his hands and try to gently shake his arms and jiggle him about on the spot. Sometimes it distracted him , he would smile and forget what he was angry about.

I'd take a different approach and say 'you're really angry right now' , and then give him a pillow or something to punch instead. I don't think it's naughty so much, it's more he can't regulate his emotions yet as he's so young.

Thank you for all your helpful comments. Yes I think it’s just him trying to process his anger when he gets told ‘no’. The hitting a pillow/beanbag sounds good! Just worried about him doing damage to his head- unlikely I know, but the bruising had me worried. Hopefully that should sort it a bit!