Hitting self on the head / running away
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15941
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Topic: Hitting self on the head / running away
Posted By: FionaS
Subject: Hitting self on the head / running away
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 7:54pm
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Tips on dealing with these?
...gotta love toddlers huh! 
Last week Elle started hitting other kids (basically if they stand and smile at her she walks up and bashes them). This week she has started to hit herself on the head quite violently. She does it if frustrated but also does it for no apparent reason when happily chatting/playing/watch TV/eating etc. She'll suddenly start hitting herself on the head and saying "ouch". If I say gentle she hits harder so we've taken to totally ignoring / walking away when she does it. We are practicing rough and gentle at times when she is not hitting and hope that will help to reinforce the right things. She is also a runner...if we are in an open space she will start and run as far as she can...no fear or concern for where DH and I are. It can be quite tiring!! :) My IRL friends have kids who don't run away so have no advice. TIA!  ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Replies:
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 8:11pm
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Michaela whacks herself over the head too, and sometimes us, but she's not strong enough to hurt (much) so we don't worry about it. I think she thinks it's funny and I figure that if she actually manages to hurt herself she'll stop. If she ever hits anyone else we'll step in but she hasn't yet (as far as I know).
For the running away, I use reins when we're somewhere dangerous (near the street, in a busy mall etc) and I try and take her to the park for a good run around as often as the weather allows. -------------  
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Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 8:36pm
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My kids do it, they do it for attention or cos they think its funny as. Lil comedians. The more I say don't, the more they do it. I think its developmental.
And the running? My kids also do this. My dog does it also, sees no finces and OFF!!! Annoying, hence the need fo rthe toddler seat on pram and harness/wrist stap/leash whatever they are called. Man it is no wonder mums go grey! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: baalamb
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 8:42pm
No tips for the hitting thing  in regards to the running away thing though: Ashlee started to take off whenever she was out of her stroller, but it only took us a couple of times to take her hand and tell her 'you can walk around, but you MUST hold mummys/daddys hand'. She would try and shake our grip, but I'd just hold firm and tell her 'no, if you want to walk by yourself, you must hold mummys hand'. Literally, it only took a couple of times before she wasn't trying to shake off our grip and would actually say to us 'hold my hand' whenever she was free to walk! She feels a lot more independant when walking, so much so that she doesn't tend to run.
I think we only had one tantrum during that process. Hopefully something like that would work for you? |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 8:54pm
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LOL Elle sounds a lot more strong willed than Ashlee. If we use reins or try to get her to told hands she sits down and yells. We do keep trying though as eventually the message will sink in LOL ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: fattartsrock
Date Posted: 02 April 2008 at 9:36pm
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lol at the sitting down. Jake loves the reins, he says loudly Im a dog like Tui and walks veeeery slowly, lol. And barks. lol! ------------- The Honest Un PC Parent of 2, usually stuck in the naughty corner! :P |
Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 5:21pm
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LOL Jake is so funny! I have a good mental image of him being "tui" lol
I always knew Ashlee was the perfect child!  Wanna swap? LOL
Caitlin is a VERY strong willed little girl and will hold our hands, but only when it suits her My problem is that when she was first old enough to be allowed to walk around in the mall etc she would ALWAYS hold my hand. Then DH decided it would be fun for her to run free in the mall (but staying no more than a few feet from us) and ever since then she's a nightmare and screams like I'm murdering her if I put her reigns on 
As for the head hitting - C does it when she's teething, I assume she does it because she has a headache ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 6:41pm
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Mine run away! Hence why I bought them reins! Maya never did, but these two are dynamite. Half the prob is that they're not old enough to understand the dangers of running away and they just want to explore.
And if you don't believe me, ask Mel and Kandice, poor Mel had to retrieve them from upstairs at McD's last week and couldn't even FIND one of them, and when we had coffee with Kandice on Sat poor Conor spent the whole time chasing them half way up Dressmart and bringing them back. Finding it tough atm as they haven't really "got" the idea of the reins yet, if I try to make them go where they don't want to, they just sit down and refuse to move. Sienna sat down in the middle of the carpark at Royal Oak a couple of weeks ago and screamed coz she didn't want to get in the car. And by middle I mean right in the middle of the road where the cars drive. I ended up dumping the nappy bag in the middle of the road and dragging a gremlin under each arm to the car. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 7:48pm
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I hear ya Emma! I hate it when Michaela refuses to budge and goes limp bodied so she's harder to pick up or when I'm trying to put her in the pram or carseat and she arches her back while kicking and screaming.
Today I let Michaela walk to the railway station wihtou reins (usually I carry her but I wasn't in any hurry today so we caught a later train). I was quite impressed, I only needed to pull her away from the curb once - this is what months of tight control on reins does. Much apologising was required though as she kept zig-zagging infront of other pedestrians and just about tripping them up. -------------
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 7:56pm
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i have been known in the past when gabriel was younger to physically drag him thru the mall when he wouldnt budge, he screamed the whole way... but tough!!!! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 7:58pm
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That becomes tricky with two of them tho Deb! They are a menace to society and I can't really carry both of them atm. I do drag them along on their reins tho... ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 8:31pm
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Argh I lost my post! Anyway, it was along the lines of... Ella went through a phase of hitting herself in the head for attention - usually when she was already angry or frustrated, and half the time she'd end up hitting me in the face as part of it all - not a great feeling! I used to ignore it (hitting herself - she gets disciplined for hitting anyone else), and eventually she stopped. I don't know that it's something you need to worry about, although it does look pretty disturbing seeing them do it, doesn't it. As for the running away - well you just have my sympathies. I think people underestimate how difficult it is to carry a toddler that refuses to be carried!! Slippery lil things. I'm pinning my hopes on the 'stop game' working one day. One day. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: baalamb
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 8:53pm
ummm far from it! I would have swapped with you this afternoon, no hesitation!!!
Oh well, Fiona, if she's sitting down and yelling at least she's not running away! maybe taking her out of the stroller is not an option? We try not to take Ashlee out of hers as much as poss!
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Two Blondinis wrote:Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 9:00pm
well i realise it may not work for you!! and even i wouldnt drag my kids on the road...  ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 9:04pm
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When we buy our next house, rather than a nice big house on a small section we may be better to buy a shed on a HUGE section as Elle loves he outdoors so much LOL. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 03 April 2008 at 10:37pm
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I can empathise with you ladies, but especially today - I went to our local Westfield and didn't take our stroller, BIG MISTAKE! DD was OK at first and sat through morning tea / coffee pretty well... but after that it was a nightmare I swear every other parent in the mall was staring at my demon child who just lay flat stretched out on the floor in the most awkward place possible, body rigid, screaming her head off... all because she didn't want to walk into a clothing shop with me and wanted to run up and down the halls instead! After a while I just gave up, picked her up and literally flung her over my shoulder - she chilled out a bit once we were in the car. I love her to bits and pieces but boy is she getting wilful! ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 04 April 2008 at 8:22am
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I can't beleive you ladies are still able to use strollers *jealous*.
DD won't let us put her in hers. She screams, kicks, arches her back, slides down the seat until her feet are on the ground and her kneck is caught in the toddler bar. It's a 2-parent job to get her into the stroller (usually taking up to 15 minutes and includes a lot of physical force) then once she's in there she screams blue bloody murder and doesn't stop. We've only used it a handful of times in the past 5 months and we've found it's so much easier not to use it and let her walk instead (it just takes longer is all, and I often end up carrying a tired toddler by the end of the day). -------------
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 04 April 2008 at 1:28pm
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I usually don't bother strapping mine into the buggy, I just put them in it, but this morning I had to tie them both down as they were trying to climb out while it was moving ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Rachael21
Date Posted: 04 April 2008 at 11:25pm
I throw Jack in and start running, once its moving he forgets he hates it and enjoys the ride. Jack spends half the time having a tantrum on the floor at the mall so I just start walking away and he gets scared and comes. Quite often I've had to do the dragging trick and then trap him between me an the car while I'm trying to open the door and hold Caprece. |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 05 April 2008 at 9:26pm
Once Michaela was throwing a tantrum in a mall because she didn't want to get back into her pram so I walked about a metre away and waited for her. I was practically within arms reach and watching her the whole time when a stranger came and tried to pick her up - I could not believe it (to quote Quincy from Little Einteins). The lady was just trying to help but talk about tunnel vision, I WAS RIGHT THERE!! Anyway that incident freaked Michaela out so much that for a couple of months afterwards she'd run crying after me if I pretended to leave her - unfortunately even that doesn't work anymore. She's obviously much too secure for her own good!! -------------
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 05 April 2008 at 9:38pm
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Oh I hate that Mrs Mojo. Sometimes I let Elle walk a metre or so in front of me and there are always many many people who stop and look worried and want to pick her up. Then they frown at me! Madness! I am always RIGHT there. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: meow
Date Posted: 06 April 2008 at 12:27pm
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Have you tried a sling/mei tai or similar?
She might hate it at first but she could get used to it. This is coming from a mum with a VERY strong willed child (ask Nikki or anyone else who knows us ).
She loved being in it - I made a big deal of how she was able to snuggle with mum etc etc - and I only made my ring sling when she was 2, so was able to carry her for a year or so. She's too heavy now. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: AliaDawn
Date Posted: 07 April 2008 at 1:02pm
Just spotted this thread (took long enough  )
Seb hits himself in the head too - and us, but we always stop him if he hits us (and ignore him if he hits himself) if he keeps trying to hit us (say more than 3 times, after we've warned him every time) he gets a time out in his room. Loves his mei-tai. Even though he wasn't carried that much, he seems to really like it in there all warm and snuggly. -------------  
 
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