Headbanging

[cbj1609]

Hello. I have a childmindee who has the cutest smile one minute and for no reason at all turns into a demon child the next.

He throws himself on the floor backwards from a standing position, then proceeds to bang the floor. He pushes himself back into the wall so he can bang this aswell. He also hits, scratches and has bitten twice. He is only 17 months so very difficult to explain and reason with him. I have tried holding him when he has the tantrums but as soon as I let go he starts again. He really bangs the floor, wall and anything in his way very hard.

I have spoken to his mum and she says she holds him down and then gives him what he wants after he has calmed down. I think this is rewarding his bad behaviour. I did explain what I did and she said this was what she did but I dont reward.
All I can seem to do at the moment is to keep him safe from hurting himself.I have taken photos of his bruises he has arrived with and also videoed him to show his mum what he does here.

Im just looking for any suggestions on what else I can do to make him stop. It is really hard work and he is quite strong to sit and physically control to protect him.

Thank You
Catherine

[Joda]

Oh dear - headbanging is horrible! I haven't had a mindee who headbangs but my twins used to do it when they were babies (from about 15 months old). It was usually in temper or when they couldn't get their own way and also in frustration too - when they started to talk and managed to communicate their needs/wants etc, it stopped.
I remember mentioning it to their paediatrician and she said that they won't do any lasting damage to themselves and although it looks really awful, it is a phase they obviously grow out of. She advised distraction/redirection with toys etc (which can be hard when they're also screaming in temper!)

[Katiekoo]

That sound really dreadful you poor thing! I think I might ask Mum to provide one of those helmets to protect his head. With that on it would be easier to ignore the behaviour and he would hopefully tire of banging his head and getting no response! Just an idea, it's quite extreme but the behaviour sounds extreme! I don't know, maybe someone else has experience of this. Good luck!

[jane5]

One of mine used to do it and getting a reaction from us was making her worse.

Even trying to restrain her because I was worried she was going to hurt herself was a reaction.

In the end I used to pick her up and put her in the hallway and close the door a little, not fully I did not speak to her at all whilst carrying her in the hall.

She was getting absolutely no attention from me or any one else and after having her head banging for a few months, as soon as she went in the hall it stopped in days.;)

[pinky33]

Every rime child arrives with bruise get mum to sign. We had a child who did this at home and not here, after a dispute mum claimed injuries has happened here but obviously we had evidence to show otherwise. Mum had also claimed to health visitor he had being doing it here and hv said it was attention seeking behaviour as obviously we were not stimulating child enough.

Just cover yourself

[teacake2]

I used to have a girl like this, she was about 2 when she started it, during a tantrum she used to say I am going to bang my head now and I used to have to let her go in the kitchen and bang her head on the cupboard doors, this was the only thing that used to make her feel better (she used to do it at home to).
Teacake2