I remember when my first son was two years old. He had always been a calm, peaceful child. But suddenly he started banging his head against the wall when he was angry. ¿Why does my son hit his head?, I wondered and could not find an answer.
What at one time we thought was a coincidence turned into a little habit that was repeated from time to time. Therefore, we made a consultation with your pediatrician. Fortunately, he told us that it was only a way of expressing himself, a custom that, just as he had arrived, was soon to leave. And so it happened, after a couple of months of banging his head against the wall in frustration one day he stopped doing it.
Hit the head
It is not pleasant for any parent to see their baby hit their head willingly. Either they hit each other with their hands or hit their heads on the crib, the floor or the wall. It is something that upsets adults, who look for different ways to calm them or distract them. ¿Why my son hits head against the wall wonder?
In most cases, the need for certain babies to bang their heads is linked to their emotionality and a way they find to express their anger or frustration. When they feel angry, they don't know how to find a better way to manage their emotions and they have these outbursts. In some cases they can be light blows but in others they can be more uncontrolled. In these cases, it is common that crying, screaming and strong tantrums also join.
When the emotional management of babies linked to anger, it may happen that a son hits his head in search of calm. By doing this, they find a way to calm down before falling asleep. In these cases, they are very soft blows, more like repetitive movements than hard blows. It is common for these children to bang their head against the pillow or crib. They seek relief and relaxation and find it by repeating this action.
In the less frequent but also more serious cases, the children hitting their heads they may manifest a symptom linked to autism. This gesture is usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as little or no social interaction, strong emotional reactions or outbursts, and delayed speech. On the other hand, moving the head occurs repetitively and is often accompanied by noises or moans.
What to do if my child hits his head
Hard to know what to do when something happens to a child. And more when that causes frustration to adults, who do not find the reasons why a boy hits his head for no apparent reason. The first thing is to remain calm in order to help the child suspend the reaction.
If it is a son hitting his head Before falling asleep, bear the temptation to stop it. It is likely that after a few minutes he will only stop, once he enters the sleep phase. If it hits the crib, you can put a bump on to prevent it from hitting it hard.
When a son hits his head for a tantrum it is best to stop paying attention. In this way, the child will understand that it is not an action that achieves good results. By ignoring it, the child will be forced to resort to other resources that are more useful to calm down while learning to manage his anger and emotionality. Of course, pay attention to the risks, avoid having objects with which you can hit and hurt yourself. If your baby observes that his behavior does not make a dent in you, he will stop doing it because he does not achieve his mission.
For riskier hits, it's time to act. If your child hits his head hard, you can gently hold him by the arms to slow down the momentum. Talk to him calmly and lovingly. In the case of suspecting that this behavior is a symptom of some type of disorder, consult your pediatrician, especially if some of the symptoms described are added.