As a new parent you always have thought, Why Do Babies Hit Themselves? Babies hitting themselves may have different reasons but mostly they do this in order to attract their parents’ attention or when they are in frustration.
When babies start hitting themselves, it looks pretty strange and even scary at times.
It’s extremely common for kids to hit their heads against the floor. It is known as a stereotypic movement. Even though you may worry about your toddler’s behavior, it’s just a normal developmental phase. Research indicates that at least 20-25% of children do this for some periods of time.
Few of the several Reasons Why Do Babies Hit Themselves.
- Stress And Frustration
Sometimes situations occur that kids find unfavorable or that they are not able to handle.
In this stage, they are often frustrated, and since they do not know how to express themselves, the frustration goes on to become stress over time. Because of this, hitting themselves is the only way they can express how they feel.
- Sickness
When a child begins to hit themselves, it’s sometimes because they’re not feeling well.
- Getting Attention
Babies, toddlers, and young children enjoy getting attention from their guardians or parents. Babies hit themselves just to attract the attention of their parents. Some kids may cry or whine before the hitting begins.
- They are in pain
Physical pain is one of the most common reasons kids hit themselves. Children go through many developmental processes, including teething.
A baby’s teeth emerge from the gums during the process of teething. Researchers have found that about 80-90% of babies exhibit teething symptoms. When a baby is teething, it is painful. babies do hit themselves to cope with pain.
- Self-soothing
Hits are a way for babies to soothe themselves. If a baby does this, he or she is probably tired, lonely, or under-stimulated. Playing games with your child can help to keep them busy when they are hitting themselves due to under-stimulation.
- Self Comfort And Sleep
Many young children do hit their heads because it reminds them of falling to sleep at night. It is believed that rhythmically hitting themselves can relax them. In fact, this is extremely common among children, and assessed as being normal, unless the child ends up getting injured.
- Excitement
As babies get excited, they can start hitting themselves. This is due to a buildup of energy that needs to be released. It could lead to your kid hitting himself.
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Also Read: When babies smile in their sleep do they see angels
Now you know Why Do Babies Hit Themselves, you should know how to handle them.
What To Do When Babies Hit Themselves
As you know this is normal for them but if you think that it’s going out of hand and it is not normal now, The first step you should do is seek professional assistance if you think this is a mental health issue.
To make your baby as safe as possible, you can do the following things.
- Create A Safe Environment
Young children don’t realize they could get hurt if they hit their heads on certain things. Therefore, make sure they are kept away from sharp objects or remove these objects to create a safe environment.
- Speak Calming Words
Provide them with comforting words and assure them everything will be okay. You can usually calm them by giving them a soft toy or holding something to squeeze or hold.
- Reward Good Behavior
Try rewarding your children when they respond in a positive manner rather than hitting themselves. This will make them feel like they are doing the right thing and they will respond similarly next time.
- Provide Alternative Response
When your kid gets excited, do they hit themselves? If this is the case, It is important to teach your child how to release this energy. You can show them an exercise they can do to turn it into something positive. To release energy, do push-ups, sit-ups, or run on the spot.
- Provide Assistance
A way to prevent them from hitting themselves is to block their fists with your arms. You might find that soothing your toddler with this action is enough to calm him down and stop the self-injury. Create a safe and loving environment to ease children’s pain or frustration.
Why Do Babies Hit Their Heads with Their Hands?
The reason why babies hit their heads with their hands is that this is a way to express their emotions and internal tension. There are many triggers in toddlers that can reveal to you why they may hit themselves. Temper tantrums, being over and understimulated, or being too tired and hungry are some examples.
Baby headbanging may help baby sleep, explains the National Sleep Foundation. According to other experts, this behavior may indicate that your baby is unwell, anger, frustrated, or has an ear infection.
Why Does A Baby Hit The Head With Their Hand When Angry?
Baby hit his head with the hand because he hasn’t yet learned how to deal with anger. Babies are not born with the ability to cope with anger; it is something they need to learn. The responsibility of a parent is to prepare your toddler to deal with angry situations. Even though it’s difficult to teach breathing techniques to a toddler, they’ll eventually catch on.
When Do Babies Start Banging Their Heads?
Baby headbanging begins as early as 5 to 6 months of age and continues throughout childhood. When children reach elementary school, they stop banging their heads against walls and floors.
Why Do Babies Hit Themselves In The Stomach?
Babies hit themselves in the stomach simply because they are learning to control their bodies and find it interesting to explore what they can do with them. Kids with a reduced sense of pain or a strong desire for physical stimulation may turn to hit themselves for fulfillment. When kids are stressed or tired, they may turn to repetitive physical movements as a way of self-calming.
