thread: 2yo Head Banging .. and how to discipline??

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2009
    605

    2yo Head Banging .. and how to discipline??

    Ok so I'm asking for my friend who has a 2yo daughter.

    The 2yo throws tantrums and bangs her head on the ground/walls/cot etc when she doesn't get her way. Has anyone else had this? What do you do?

    Also, this 2yo shows some aggressive behaviour, how do you teach your 2yo what's right or wrong?
    Do they actually understand? Or do you just have to ride it out till they are older?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Werribee, Vic
    618

    My son used to do this a lot and I just ignored the behaviour and walked away. I know this seems hard especially when they can end up with bruises, but it is a stage that some go through and my son doesn't really do it anymore.

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    USA
    3,991

    My son is a head butter. I mix up my response with offering cuddles and talking to him about his frustration, to ignoring him. I find responding all the time doesn't help as he learns to use it as his first port-of-call to get a response from me, but at the same time ignoring him all the time doesn't help him learn how to calm himself.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Dec 2009
    605

    So they won't do any serious damage? I'm sure she can handle the bruises, but her mum is worried about any serious damage.
    It definitely seems that cuddling seems to reinforce the behaviour.
    Any other ideas?
    And also what to do when she sees her daughter snatching toys from other kids, clawing them, hitting them? How does everyone else address this kind of behaviour?

  5. #5

    May 2008
    Melbourne, Vic
    8,631

    Hey there,

    My almost 2yo is physically agressive in her behaviour towards other kids, and sometimes me.

    I address it in a few different ways...

    I set her expectations - how I expect her to behave when we are around other kids. This means talking to her before we go to playgroup or whatever and telling her than when she is with other kids and babies, she must be gentle - no hitting, no biting, no pushing. We've also introduced a new "rule" - keep your hands/feet/mouth to yourself. With us it is mostly hitting/pushing so we say "What's our rule? You keep your hands to yourself" and then I bring my hands together on my chest and say "Show mummy" and she copies me.

    Then if I catch her before she touches another child, I remind her of the rule and this is often enough to stop her.

    However, if I am too late... then we go straight for time out/naughty corner. Physical agression is not ok and so there are no warnings, second chances... straight into the naughty corner.

    I think she is getting better, slowly but surely.

    With regards to the snatching of toys, this is more normal behaviour I think - they are learning to share, asserting their dominance and their understanding of "mine". When this happens, I talk to the two kids involved about sharing, taking turns. DD is really understanding taking turns now but doesn't always follow through with the other kid's turn!!

    If a particular object is causing angst/tension, I remove it, simple.

    HTH...