A friend has a 1 year old who has started head banging on his cot?Can you advise.?
Answers:
it may be his way of expressing his anger or getting your attention...i would watch closely and see when it is that he does it and if it's b/c he's mad, i'd go in and stop him and ask him what's wrong...then i'd try to come up with a different way for him to express his anger...that means that everytime he starts to bang his head, stop him and show him the new way...he'll get the hang of it...
my daughter bites herself or scratches herself...so i always make sure to keep her nails short and if possible, when i see her getting angry, i try to calm her down or distract her with something else...it depends...if she's mad b/c she can't have her way, then i'll just tell her to stop and hence distract her...she's one, too...
Other Answers:
can you say he needs to see the doctor because he may be having epileptic fits
my son,when he gets angry,he bangs his head on the floor or the wall,he's almost 4,i know of other kids doing this and its their way of expressing anger. Is this child in a preschool or at home. It sounds to me like he is in a preschool and he is being forced to sleep and he does not feel safe in his environment enough to sleep.
If this is a preschool you need to start observing the school and consider changing to a smaller environment where they are more loving and supportive.
If this is at home you need to take a long look at what you are doing if you are loving and no one is being demanding or yelling or using physical dicipline than you need to consider haveing him assessed to see if he has any developmental delays.
Head banging especially at this age is a serious red flag for emothional problems developing. PLEASE get help for him.
Good luck
Surprisingly, head banging is fairly common. Up to 20 percent of all infants bang their head on purpose, although boys are three times more likely to do it than girls. Children typically start when they're about 6 months old and stop between the ages of 2 and 4.
No one knows for sure why kids bang their head, but there are a few general reasons. As odd as it may sound, most toddlers who indulge in the behavior do it to relax. They bang their head rhythmically — some rock on all fours as well — as they're falling asleep, when they wake up in the middle of the night, or even while they're sleeping. In these cases, developmental experts believe that head banging is a child's way of calming himself so he can sleep.
Head banging can also soothe a child in pain. Infants and toddlers are more likely to bang their head when they're teething or suffering from an ear infection. Head banging apparently helps them feel better, perhaps by distracting them from the discomfort in their mouth or ear.
Some youngsters bang their head during temper tantrums as a way of venting strong emotions. They haven't yet learned to express their feelings in words, so they use physical actions.
More rarely, ongoing head banging may also be a way for a child to get attention. Understandably, parents tend to become solicitous when they see their child doing something that appears self-destructive. And since children like it when their parents fuss over their behavior, they may continue head banging if it seems to be getting them a lot of unusual attention.
And finally, and more rarely, head banging is associated with certain types of autism and mental retardation.
Ignore the head banging. As difficult as it may sound, try not to make a big deal about it. Your child will only do it more if he learns that it's a sure way to get a response from you. Even if you can't completely disregard his head banging, don't scold or punish him for it. He's too young to be able to change his habits, and your disapproval will only puzzle him.
Protect your child from injury. If head banging happens in the crib, line the sides of the crib with a soft bumper to soften the impact. Your toddler's probably fine without the padding, but you'll feel reassured that he's safe, and he'll make less noise (of course, you'll want to make sure he can't use it to climb out of his crib). And check all the bolts of the crib once a month to make sure the rocking isn't loosening anything. Putting rubber casters underneath the crib legs and hanging another bumper or a quilt between the crib and the wall will help reduce noise (and wear and tear on the walls and floor).
He may get a bruise or two, but don't worry — head banging is usually a "self-regulating" behavior. This means your toddler is unlikely to hit his head hard enough to injure himself. He knows his threshold for pain, and will pull back on the throttle a bit if the banging hurts. Brain tests don't show abnormalities in these children, and the vast majority of them grow up to be healthy, intelligent adults.
Institute a soothing bedtime routine at night. If your child is banging his head as a way of "coming down" from his busy day, try setting up a relaxing routine. A warm bath, a calm rock on your lap, and a quiet story or song may help. You may want to spend a few minutes before bed rubbing his back or stroking his forehead.
Consult a pediatrician if his behavior becomes worrisome. If your child bangs his head a lot during the daytime or continues to bang his head even though he's hurting himself, you may have cause to worry. More rarely, head banging can be associated with autism and other developmental disorders, or with mental retardation. While you would likely know by now if your child was retarded, the signs of developmental disorders such as autism often become apparent during the toddler years. Autistic children generally don't relate well to people; they often aren't interested in physical contact with their parents and seem to look through people rather than at them. If you notice that your child is losing physical, language, or other skills he's acquired, if he's becoming increasingly withdrawn, or if he's consistently delayed in achieving common developmental milestones, check with his doctor.
Source(s):
cute_blondie_angel
mother of 2
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerbehavior/11554.html
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