![]() ![]() If your toddler is banging his head against something hard (like the wall), you can try padding the area where he does most of his banging.Make sure not to shame your toddler when you do this, though – you don’t want them to associate their sexuality with shame and guilt later in life. If the behavior is inappropriate (like fondling private parts), then gently let your child know that it’s something they cannot do in front of others, and should do only in the privacy of their room.If you do want to take steps to minimize these behaviors, consider the following: Honestly, maybe nothing! Drawing lots of attention to these behaviors, or trying to force your child to stop doing them (or punishing your child when she does do them) will only serve to make the behavior worse (and may even make it last longer!) In many cases, you can simply ignore the behaviors, and they will eventually go away (usually by the time the child is 3 or 4.) What Should You Do About Your Toddler’s Weird Self-Soothing Behaviors? They may also engage in these behaviors during a developmental transition (like potty training) or a season of transition or stress (like during a move, or the birth of a new sibling). Toddlers often do these behaviors when they are still full of energy but need to wind down and fall asleep (i.e. Why do toddlers find these rather bizarre behaviors soothing? Well, as this flyer from the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburg points out, repetitive behaviors are thought to help toddlers release tension and extra energy and act as a calming influence. However, for many toddlers, these behaviors aren’t an indicator of a serious problem - they’re simply the child’s (odd, weird, strange) way of calming and soothing himself. We’ll address these more serious problems later on in the article. They can also be a sign of Sensory Processing Disorder. Some toddlers engage in these kinds of behaviors because they aren’t getting enough one-on-one contact with parents or caregivers - so they make up for that lack of cuddling and affection by trying to create it themselves.įor a small percentage of children, these kinds of behaviors indicate deeper, underlying issues, like learning disabilities, ADD-ADHD, or autism. There are several answers to this question, honestly. Why Do Some Toddlers Engage in Weird Self-Soothing Behaviors? Toddlers may grimace, shrug their shoulders, twitch, make repetitive noises, etc. Some toddlers rock their bodies back and forth (or side to side, or on their hands and knees) during the naptime or bedtime routine. Some toddlers yank on or twist their hair (or their parents’ hair!) as a way to soothe and calm themselves before sleep. Some toddlers also become quite fixated on stroking their parent’s ears, faces, or hands. Toddlers may stroke their bellies, ears, feet, or other more private parts as they wind down before naptime or bedtime. Some toddlers will also shake their heads back and forth vigorously. Some toddlers tend to bang their heads (against the wall, against furniture, against the crib bars, etc.) before naps or bed. This may be the most alarming of all the self-soothing techniques listed here. What kinds of odd self-soothing behaviors are we talking about? Well, there are many, but here’s a list of some of the most common: ![]() Unusual Toddler Self-Soothing Behaviorsįirst, let’s define our terms. ![]() We’ll look at why our toddlers do them, how we can handle them as parents, and when the behaviors themselves become a cause for concern. We’ll take a look at some of the unusual, odd, and just flat-out weird self-soothing behaviors that many toddlers try out from time to time. Yeah…toddlers can be strange little people sometimes!Īnd speaking of strange - have any of you ever noticed that your toddler sometimes engages in some rather odd self-soothing behavior before naptime or bedtime? Things like banging their heads against the wall, rocking back and forth, or tugging on their hair? Picking their noses in public? Drinking the bathwater? Insisting on being naked at all times? Throwing tantrums over the color of their socks? Our toddlers are cute - no doubt about that! But sometimes, their behavior is…well…weird. ![]()
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