HUGE PROBLEM WITH 2 YEAR OLD..why on earth?

Question

does my 2 year old son ALWAYS bash his head in? If I yell at hi he will go run and smash his head into a corner or floor and anything for that matter, and then he will cry like hell and say oww.
THIS IS NOT a phase, he has been doing this since about 9 months, I have never seen a kid do this, and I dont know what to do about it.
Because he bashes his head really hard I am afraid one day he is going to crack his skull.

Its not right, I mean he go into the room and sit there because he didnt want to be told what to do and all of a sudden bash his skull into the play house or floor, and hard!
I hate seeing him do this, its not right!

Answer 1

my brother used to do that . he would even hold his breath till he passed out.
he is too little so explain his emotions so he hurts himself. teach him to use his words. come down to his level and speak softly to him.

Answer 2

I used to be a Special Ed teacher before I became a SAHM. With that said, I am going to give you 2 answers - it is either nothing to worry about or he has a problem that needs immediate evaluation. There are a few things that could be going on. Has his speech and social skills developed normally? If he has a problem with eye contact, doesn't smile a lot, has speech/language delays you could be looking at an autistic (probably high functioning) response to an emotionally charged situation. Along these lines, does he rock a lot, spin things, handle change in an extreme manner?
If he has none of those symptoms you could be looking at any number of things all depending on family history, birth history, something that happened in utero (not your fault - just a developmental thing), low frustration tolerance, etc.
You really do need to get an evaluation. You need to start with your pediatrician. Then if you need further evaluation they should be able to tell you what is next. Your local Child Find (that is what it is called in CO) can do evaluations for free if he needs IQ, Speech/Language, and/or Developmental Testing.
Now that you are freaked out please remember that just because you (or anyone answering this question) has never seen the behavior before does not mean that it isn't "normal".
The chances of your child hitting his head so hard that he inflicts serious physical damage (aside from a bump or a cut) are very, very small.
There are some things you may want to do while you are waiting for the evaluation. If it is the yelling that he is most affected by, there is a GREAT parenting style called Love And Logic. It allows the children to make choices and learn from the consequences. The consequences are either something that you set down or something that is a natural consequence (like, he doesn't wear a coat outside so he gets cold - next time he wears a coat). The benefit of this style is that it takes the power struggles out of the equation and allows you to instill consequences without yelling or fighting with him. It is really amazing! I used it with my severe emotionally disturbed kids and I use it with my own toddlers (2 1/2 and 1 1/2) and it works wonders! If you would like more information you can go to http://www.loveandlogic.com/

Hope this helps and good luck, I am sure everything will be okay.

Answer 3

Here's something to try. Limit what he is exposed to on TV, movies, videos, dvds, other children, etc. Make sure he isn't seeing anything violent or that he's not witnessing anyone yelling or arguing. Just soft and peaceful is what you are looking for.

When you need to discipline him, go over to him, and put him in your arms and say, "I will not let you do _______" That's not okay. Be firm, but don't yell. If he needs some time to gather himself, then hold him in your arms so he can't hurt himself. If you want to call it a "time out" you can do that, but you must be the one to hold him during the time out. This is going to take a lot of work on your part.

If he were knocking his head against the wall at other times, then he may need some CranioSacral therapy because he could have a headache, and knocking his head or swinging would help to alleviate some of the pressure. Some Osteopaths, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors and Lactation Consultants practice CranioSacral therapy. Our 2nd son was greatly helped by CranioSacral therapy. When he was 13 months old I noticed him knocking his head gently against the wall, and he ALWAYS had to be in his swing to sleep. I knew this was not normal, but the doctor didn't think anything of it. Then I heard about an Osteopath that specialized in CranioSacral therapy and after just one treatment, I had a different child. He relaxed and actually fell asleep on the floor. Amazing.

Just some ideas for you to try.

Answer 4

Whoa!

I have no idea why. Maybe it's because he can't control his reaction any other way? Has he been punished for hitting or biting in the past? Or not ... if he's been doing it since 9 months it might be a medical thing!

For now I'd get him a helmet. Get him a checkup with his pediatrician, and if they can't find anything wrong, get him to a child psychologist or something. I'm not saying he's crazy ... I just mean maybe a psychologist would have seen something like that before? I have no clue. But it sounds serious since it's been going on for more than a year.

Answer 5

does he only do it when you yell at him? if so, instead of yelling at him, get down on his level, and redirect him. he does want your attention. if he's getting into the cabinets, or doing something he's not suppose to do, crouch down to his level, look him in the face, and say "how about we go play with your toys instead of pulling things out of the cabinet?" then take him, and show him where his toys are, and play with him for a few seconds, so he gets the attention he wanted, and gets his mind off of what he was doing earlier. but whatever you do, do not yell at him. it will only make him upset. i hope you take my advice, cause a dr will tell you the same thing i just did. my cousin had the same problem with her 2 year old. it is a behavorial problem, that can easily be fixed with some understanding, and patitence. good luck, take care

Answer 6

My son use to do the same thing when he was 2 too. He would bang hid head into cabinets and floors and walls and he thought that it was funny. But after a while we acted like we didn't notice when he did it then he figured out that it wasn't getting our attention. Then he stopped doing it. Your son is probably just trying to get the attention to i know that it's hard to ignore and you worry about him hurting himself. I hope that this helps.

Answer 7

Need to take him to a psychiatrist and a medical doctor for head exam. Probably a CT scan. He may have something out of order up there.

Answer 8

My daughter used to do the same thing when she was 2 years old so one day I got down on the floor and did it with her and she figured out that it wasnt bothering me and she wasnt going to get babied.

Answer 9

This is a very serious problem and not to be taken lightly. You need to take your child to a psychiatrist for evaluation. I am thinking there is some sort of neurological problem going on here and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Answer 10

First, get the kid a helmet. Seriously. Next, ask your pediatrician. There must be something triggering this response. Get professional help as soon as you can.

Answer 11

He does it to get YOUR attention and it is working. He gets his way by doing so. He is in total control of every situation because you give in when he does this. And for as long as you give him what he wants when he starts in he is going to continue doing it. Plain and simple. You have handed all control over to an infant.