Avery got to spend lots of time w daddy yesterday. She seems to get more attached to him as she gets older. LOVE IT. She is always thrilled when we come back home from anywhere because she expects daddy to come out to the car and get her. As we pull into the apartment complex she starts saying, "daddy daddy daddy" nonstop. Little preshling :) The highlight of her daddy time yesterday was mosdef their superfly dance party. This child lovvvves to shake her groovethaaang!
Question for toddler moms: Did your little ones go through the head-banging stage? Aves is totally there..and it's getting worse. She's now to the point where she'll smash her head against whatever she can find (the highchair, a table, the ground, the wall...) multiple times in a row and then start crying and want to be held (duh...that has to hurt!) She now has 2 bruises on her head!! It drives me crazy that she is jarring her brain multiple times a day and causing herself pain! Well this morning I got an email with information on headbanging that helped put my mind at ease (a little.) Thank you BabyCenter!!
Here's what I learned!
Possible reasons your toddler may bang his head:
• Self-comfort. As strange as it may sound, most toddlers who indulge in this behavior do it to relax. They bang their head rhythmically as they're falling asleep, when they wake up in the middle of the night, or even while they're sleeping. Some rock on all fours as well. Developmental experts believe that the rhythmic motion, like rocking in a chair, may help your toddler soothe himself.
• Pain relief. Your toddler may also bang his head if he's in pain — from teething or an ear infection, for example. Head banging seems to help kids feel better, perhaps by distracting them from the discomfort in their mouth or ear.
• Frustration. If your toddler bangs his head during temper tantrums, he's probably trying to vent some strong emotions. He hasn't yet learned to express his feelings adequately through words, so he's using physical actions. And again, he may be comforting himself during this very stressful event.
• A need for attention. Ongoing head banging may also be a way for your toddler to get attention. Understandably, you may tend to become solicitous when you see your child doing something that appears self-destructive. And since he likes it when you fuss over his behavior, he may continue the head banging in order to get the attention he wants.
• A developmental problem. Head banging can be associated with autism and other developmental disorders — but in most of these cases, it's just one of many behavioral red flags. Rarely does head banging alone signal a serious problem.
• Pain relief. Your toddler may also bang his head if he's in pain — from teething or an ear infection, for example. Head banging seems to help kids feel better, perhaps by distracting them from the discomfort in their mouth or ear.
• Frustration. If your toddler bangs his head during temper tantrums, he's probably trying to vent some strong emotions. He hasn't yet learned to express his feelings adequately through words, so he's using physical actions. And again, he may be comforting himself during this very stressful event.
• A need for attention. Ongoing head banging may also be a way for your toddler to get attention. Understandably, you may tend to become solicitous when you see your child doing something that appears self-destructive. And since he likes it when you fuss over his behavior, he may continue the head banging in order to get the attention he wants.
• A developmental problem. Head banging can be associated with autism and other developmental disorders — but in most of these cases, it's just one of many behavioral red flags. Rarely does head banging alone signal a serious problem.
3 comments:
She would totally KILL me for telling you, but all I will say is ask my sis all about the head banging thing. She might know a thing or two about it! ;)
Also, I know a couple of little boys who do that at night as a self soothing thing i guess. That's how they have ALWAYS put themselves to sleep. One is 10 (still does)and the oldest is 13 and he seems to have outgrown it already. Good Luck!! I LOVE your sweet babies, by the way!
Carla C.
I've also read that they do it because they get an adrenaline rush from it, but it doesn't seem like that's what she's getting. Unless she is & the realizes it hurts.
If it is a behavioral issue, I generally say ignore it and give attention to good things and it will pass as soon as she realizes that she is not getting the attention she hoped she would from it!
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