My baby hurts herself when I say, 'No'.

[Ashleigh<3]

My baby slaps, punches, her head when we say, 'NO'.

Why is she doing this?
We only say, 'NO', when she is running near a cupboard and we don't want her to hurt herself we try and tell her to stay away so she won't go near it, or if she goes to grab a glass off the table I'll say, "NO". She always stops straight away and when we first started using the NO technique she would respond with a bashful look and make a sad whimpering sound. But now she's turned it into an angry whimpering sound a long with a punch to her own head.
Sometimes she'll shake her head repeatedly which she learnt from me no doubt, but I have never slapped/hit my baby nor do I slap my dogs.

I'm just at a lost, no idea where she's picked this up. Maybe she picked it up from when we've been out shopping and we've noticed another family using slap method but could she be using it as a trick, maybe she thinks we're going to feel sorry for her and give her attention which is exactly what we're doing. LOL
Gosh she's got us wrapped around her little finger, Any advice?

[Myztik]

No advice really just wanted to say your not alone, my DS2 does this aswell atm and I have no idea how to go abouts stopping it.

[Ashleigh<3]

No advice really just wanted to say your not alone, my DS2 does this aswell atm and I have no idea how to go abouts stopping it.

Hopefully we can get some good advice. :)

[Ana Gram]

Frustration?

[Samaras Mummy]

My DD used to do this to.. And now has started to do it again... I have always put it down to frustration :yes:

[Ashleigh<3]

Possibly, it's an immediate response, whenever she see's that she's in trouble she does it.
Just a big tap to the head and she has a bit of a whinge then continues doing what we told her to not do and then she'll hit herself again when we say No.

[Ana Gram]

She is at an age where she wants to communicate more than she can, some kids can find it very frustrating. I know when I am frustrated all I want to do is break something!

Oh, Ruby used to head butt the floor when getting in trouble at that age.

[Ashleigh<3]

She is at an age where she wants to communicate more than she can, some kids can find it very frustrating. I know when I am frustrated all I want to do is break something!


That makes a lot of sense.
Oh and me too, I usually bottle it up then at the end of the week grab a pillow and scream.

[reAllytee]

Yeah its frustration so maybe try explaining to her why you are saying no. She may still only be little & not totally understand but she may suprise you. Also distract her from the behaviour may also help to stop it.

Boof used to be a head butt'er in cases like this & i found ignoring the behaviour as long as he was safe was the best thing to do.

Poor mummy, poor bubby :hugs:

[Ana Gram]

Boof used to be a head butt'er in cases like this & i found ignoring the behaviour as long as he was safe was the best thing to do.


I found that being in a house with hardwood floors instead of carpet fixed the head butting problem right up :laughing:

[SairBear]

DD used to do this when she didnt get her own way or when we couldnt understand what she wanted to say (earlier talking days)... it was out of fustration i think

[Ashleigh<3]

Yeah its frustration so maybe try explaining to her why you are saying no. She may still only be little & not totally understand but she may suprise you. Also distract her from the behaviour may also help to stop it.

Boof used to be a head butt'er in cases like this & i found ignoring the behaviour as long as he was safe was the best thing to do.

Poor mummy, poor bubby :hugs:



I spoke to my Dad on the phone and he seems to think I should ignore her because she's doing it right after she's doing something naughty so she's obviously made the connection with the two. She obviously knows she's being naughty and is getting a rise out of us, we do react and say, "Nooooo! Chloe don't do that".
Sometimes I'll just look at her and shake my head and then she'll just mimic me and walk away from me shaking her head and punching herself. :laughing: Gosh it can be pretty funny but I really don't want her to give herself any unnecessary headaches or anything worse, she's always been a very rough baby.

I suppose I should be thankful she isn't hitting other babies instead. Oh wait, *touch wood*.



I found that being in a house with hardwood floors instead of carpet fixed the head butting problem right up :laughing:
Oh gosh, I hope Chloe doesn't start banging her head on the tiles.
:laughing:

[Pixie]

Have you tired sign language with her Ash? It's not to late. Then she could always express herself that way. It means you have to say
what are you sad about
Are you OK
it's OK to be frustrated etc

I used sign language with Eliza and it was great it eased things up she has stopped using it now as she talks but before that she was really fluent in it.

Weirdly she understands when people just sign to her not baby sign language she did this the other day a friend signed to her to go get something and she did.....doo dooo dooo do

freak lol

[Ashleigh<3]

Nat, what an awesome suggestion, thanks. :)
I'll have to look into it.

She was one of those newborns who used signs naturally, it was much easier for us because we knew what she wanted. She still brings her hand to her mouth and she makes a hand movement like she's holding a bottle, so we've realized she does that when she's thirsty. lol

[vespertine]

My first thought would be, stop saying no!

How about re-directing her, or rephrasing things... like instead of saying 'No, don't run' or 'No, don't touch that', maybe try saying 'How about we walk quietly?' or 'Would you like a plastic cup instead?' Using positive language instead of negative, I find really helpful with my toddler.

Imagine how frustrating it is to be so little and hearing 'No' all the time. Of course you say it to protect her safety, but she probably doesn't realise that alot of the time, being the age she is. All she knows, if you're preventing her from having fun, without offering any suggestion!

Also, maybe creating a YES environment would be a good idea. Eg put all breakables out of her reach. Make everything at her height safe. Cap sharp corners of furniture. Lock all cupboards with chemicals and sharp things inside. Make everything totally toddler proof. Save yourself the drama, and help her to feel like she has some freedom and control about what she does, whilst staying safe.

[Ashleigh<3]

My first thought would be, stop saying no!

How about re-directing her, or rephrasing things... like instead of saying 'No, don't run' or 'No, don't touch that', maybe try saying 'How about we walk quietly?' or 'Would you like a plastic cup instead?' Using positive language instead of negative, I find really helpful with my toddler.

Imagine how frustrating it is to be so little and hearing 'No' all the time. Of course you say it to protect her safety, but she probably doesn't realise that alot of the time, being the age she is. All she knows, if you're preventing her from having fun, without offering any suggestion!

Also, maybe creating a YES environment would be a good idea. Eg put all breakables out of her reach. Make everything at her height safe. Cap sharp corners of furniture. Lock all cupboards with chemicals and sharp things inside. Make everything totally toddler proof. Save yourself the drama, and help her to feel like she has some freedom and control about what she does, whilst staying safe.

Thanks for the advice, might give it a go.
The cupboards are locked, we try to cap corners and sharp edges but she rips the caps off and hides them.
We tried blue tacking them down but then she tried eating the blue tack, so we're unsure about that one.

[TyBean]

Oh my.... Chloe and Tyler are so much alike!!! :eek:

Tyler hits his head on the floors (and we have tiles) and walls.. I just ignore it and he has slowly stopped... thank he heavens... or he will hit himself or lay into me!!! :mad: and what gets me even more is he will either do it with a fake angry cry or laughing... laughing mainly when he hits me :rolleyes:

I take it as frustration (and being male) :laughing: and it doesn't help when the 23 year old in this house does not help the cause and put things outa Tyler's reach :banghead:

I'm not much help am I :o but I do feel your pain lol

[Baby Girl]

Definitely frustration and not being able to communicate how she feels about being told No.

My youngest used to do this about at around 2 but she has stopped doing it and now she tends to stop and look to me for an explanation as to why she is not allowed to do something... so I tell her why.