My son is 14 months, he keeps hitting his head off of the floor, wall, hand, basically anything he can when he doesn’t get his way. I’m trying really hard to comfort him when he does it but, the sound of him doing it and how angry he gets after is making me depressed. I feel like I’m not a good mom because none of my friends or family have gone through this. He also runs towards me when I tell him no to bite me, scratch me, or to slap whatever I’m holding in my hand to the ground. I’m a first-time mom, single, and I’m young. I’ve never been around children under four until I had mine, and nobody told me how to raise a child. This whole situation is making me depressed, his doctors keep staying it a phase, but he won’t stop! He does it at least three times an hour.
My youngest did that for a while as well. Only one of my four kids to do it. What finally worked, which was hard to do, was to walk away and ignore him when he started banging his head. I guess he was doing it for attention and to try and make me feel bad so he could get his way.
Blah, it really is a phase, n sometimes it lasts awhile. My 2nd youngest is kind of like that and she’s a lil over 2 years. Hang on mama
Have you tried not acknowledging him when he does it? Maybe he does it because he sees he gets a reaction and like you said is doing it because he isn’t getting his way.
Okay start off by a calm down bottle get your self a water bottle fill it up with water and sparkles and offer this to him when is upset find a time out chair and put him in this chair when he acts up and hand him this bottle consistency is key with kids don’t give in or up just don’t out stubborn them 
or they aren’t going to learn anything
This happenes to my daughter doctor says same thing and here we are 9 years later she got diagnosed with odd dmd and ADHD and now on meds but the meds make her a whole new child if it continues get a second opinion also if he or she acts out in school notify doctor that is how I got my daughter in counceling it has really helped her best of luck mama
I would see if you could get him evaluated by Early Childhood Intervention.
I’m literally going through the same thing with my 20 month old. my boy only does this though when he’s also teething so it’s been coming in cycles and I hate it! If that’s what’s happening I just sooth him. Give him Tylenol and cuddles. Sometimes I take the situation else where. I’ll go get a Banana or we’ll get a sippy or a favorite toy and redirect his mood.
My son is the same way with hitting his head. His doctor says its just something boys do and to distract him. He gets plenty of attention, he just throws fits. I’m so afraid of him getting TBI from it but his doctor says that won’t happen.
Yeah don’t acknowledge it and it does get better. My 18 month son does this. He’s rather goofy and thinks it’s funny but we just try to redirect him.
My brother did that and they TRIED to say adhd it was a milk allergy! He is perfectly fine now
It’s normal. Children that age gets frustrated as well. They cant directly tell you exactly what they want or need. Dont show anger or any negative feelings towards him just patience. If he doesn’t grow out of it, As a mother you’ll have that instinct that something isnt right dont be afraid to contact your dr and ask about autism I’ve talked with moms who’s children didnt grow out of that phase that were diagnosed with autism. I know it’s not easy but you gotta think about your own health as well… physical, mental and emotional… take some time to yourself once in a while. When possible… me time is everything!
Don’t react when he sees he doesn’t get a response maybe he’ll stop!
Thankfully my grandson seems to have grown out of that stage, but we all have one of these in our homes, that he’d wear when he was visiting (or at home)
I can not stress this enough, IGNORE IT!
Make sure he’s in a safe space and ignore him! Dont talk to him, look at him, try to reason with him, nothing.
The more attention (positive or negative) he receives, the more fuel you add to his fire. Act like you cant see or hear him, and when he gets done act like it was boring you.
But, no, you’re not alone. And yes, it is a phase. Just try to ride it out.
Start implementing time outs. 3 minutes will do for his age. Ignore him when he is in time out.
Kids this age are just testing their limits and seeing what will work. Try not to take it personally. Dont spank, hit, or yell. They’re having emotions they dont know how to deal with. Make an emotions chart with emoticons. One for you and one for him. Move yours to show your emotions, help him understand his emotions. (Not during a meltdown)
Good luck, mama.
My youngest did it. Behavior therapist said ignore it. It worked.
Mine did this!! He’s three now. He started walking when he was 9 months old, so he started banging his head against everything shortly after. Doc told me to just keep sharp corners away, or taped up, and let him grow out of it🤣 and he did! He actually has a permanent scar from taking the protector off the corner of my entertainment system and bashing his head into it to rock out to flogging molly😅 boys are seriously insane, but thats why we love em xD
Don’t just ignore it. If you are concerned, if it affects your day to day life, talk to your child’s dr. My son was having horrible tantrums. Through talking to our dr, we found out he has sensory issues and how to help him help himself in an appropriate manner.
Lots of good advice in here. I also recommend talking to your doctor about how you’re feeling. Make sure you’re getting a thorough check up in regards to this depression.
Some childrens seminars on techniques and stuff helped me so much when I had my first. Grab a coffee and go check some out.
He will grow out of it. He’s probably doing it for extra atention and to get his way. Don’t fuss with him over it. Ignore him and put him down. Our granddaughter acted the same way. She just turned 3. Its been a few months since she had her last episode.
They say when a child is banging there head it could be a possible ear infection or you child could be suffering from headaches. It sounds like to me he is seeking negative attention. I would see your peds doc first.
My daughter used to do this. She is now 3 and I forgot she even did this so hang in there!
My son would rock and hit his head against the end of his crib. Being from a family of 5 children it was new for me. There was tension in our home though. My husband & I didn’t fight but wasn’t a good marriage and he was gone allot. I don’t know if tension caused it or not but when it was just me he didn’t do it. You give him attention when he does it maybe get one of those helmets as described above. That is a great suggestion, we didn’t have them then. Angela suggested the helmet above with a picture.
Stay calm, do not react, ignore it, the more attention he gets, good or bad, the more he will play up, also talking to him and telling him things like, we dont hit or bite because it hurts, and it’s not nice to hurt people. But yeah, some kids just go through a phase, sounds like you are doing your best, hang in there, it will get better!
Don’t worry my 14 month old does the exact same thing with his head. He’s also the most angry baby I’ve ever seen but his dr says it’s normal and it’s just a phase because he gets frustrated. 
It’s so nice to be a part of this group and realize things like this are far more common than we think.
My son did that too …I worried lol but he eventually stopped. It was hard too.
My 2 year old has been doing this for months now and does it when he gets angry or upset. He has recently been diagnosed with a speech delay and I was told when he learns how to communicate better the head hitting and tantrums will get better 
Lauren Newman is right. I either completely ignore my daughter and let her throw a fit on the floor or I pick her up, put her in her room and shut the door. It really is a phase they go through. My niece is almost 4 and she is getting better.
My son is 15 months and does this too!!
I googled it.
Stop comforting him…
Every time he does it look away and eventually he will see you aren’t paying attention to him and he’ll give up
My oldest went through this phase at 2 years old and gave up real quick when we stopped reacting
He hasn’t learned how to properly express himself still to little but it very very normal don’t freak out my daughter was horrible!! That girl gave me ptsd for sure … but little things help most of it over stimulated or not enough stimulation or physical activity… it can also be teeth (pain) check that’s first always ! Big red flag for teething red checks lots of sober may not want to eat much super fussy crazy cranky some times self harming head banging ect … baths help a lot to calm them down also redirecting (super cool mom skill ) look it up saves me every time 
weighted blankets are awesome or kids who are angry or stressed you can make them to it’s not to hard and they really do work you just don’t want it to heavy cause he a little guy it’s like a hug but not from his mom who he’s suppose to be mad at cause she said no it’s hard being a single parent let alone with no help 
I didn’t have any but I served 
mostly it wasn’t easy I have three babies now and a husband who lives at work literally and their 6/3/2 you will get it just keep trying you got this momma
Distracting him could be very helpful, getting his attention to another toy or turning on the tv even. I was in the same boat once and now I have 3 to care for and im still learning so don’t feel like your a bad mom at all
My daughter was doing that she has been diagnosed with autism, OCD, and severe ADHD, maybe discuss with pediatrician could just be a phase or could be something else
Put him in a time out chair. Tell him when he stops then he can have something. Do not give in. Also tell him when hes time out chair that you dont always get what you want when YOU want it. This works believe me. Hes doing it so you will get upset and give in. But dont. Whos bigger here. YOU.
My daughter does this when she gets upset, she is being reprimanded or has to take a nap for example. She’s almost 2.
Littles dont know how to communicate their emotions or feelings so that we understand. They get overwhelmed.
It’s really hard to see and hear, so I empathize.
I try to get on my daughters level and talk calmly to her or hold and rock her until she has calmed down enough I can talk to her without her screaming. Doesn’t always work, a lot of the time I just have to put her in her bed, tell her I love her and leave her room as fast as I can (for nap or bedtime). Usually once she sees that I can’t see her hitting her head she will stop and eventually her screaming turns into unhappy cries to silence.
Sometimes giving her an extra 30 min to an hour of cuddles is what she needs to feel better.
Which isnt always feasible sadly.
You just do what you gotta do. Her daddy is always telling me that I need to just let her do it cause it’s attention seeking and she wont actually hurt herself. So I compromise with the way he wants to parent and the way I want to.
I give it a go at trying to calm her and if after a certain period of time it is not helping I let her cry it out. If she still screams bloody murder after 30ish minutes I go try again to calm her.
I’m pretty sure my daughter isnt delayed or has adhd like some other mothers have mentioned with their kids, all kiddos are different and it takes time to figure out what works.
My daughter had a bruise on her forehead for months because she did this during temper tantrums. Her doctor said to completely ignore it. She won’t actually hurt herself, she just wants a reaction. She grew out of it.
Dont ignore it . All kids are different . Get professional advice.
Almost terrible twos
Its a phase my kid did this he grew out of it once he relized it hurtz. U just have to let him realize it himself
Sensory processing disorder , does he talk ? Could be self harming could mean autism I would speak to your pediatrician about it
Someone told me they band their head because of teething pain.
Ether way my son did this for a long time(banging his head). As for the running to bite your gonna have to man up and just pop that butt, or deal with it. No In between. You can’t always softly say “no” get in there and make sure you stay strong. A toddler who runs directly at you to hit, bite or smack is eventually a child who will hit, bite, or smack.
Drs told my friends that the worst he can do… is knock himself out!!!
We had to ignore the head thing, eventually she did just stop doing it because it got no reaction. The biting/scratching/hitting needs to be a hard line. Unfortunately being single means you’re gonna be the bad guy when it comes to this kind of behavior. Hard NO, we do NOT hit/scratch, that hurts people and it is not okay, then a redirect. When we’re upset we need to use our words. Moving to a different activity than what you said no to and try your damndest to never let the physical behavior get him what he wanted that you said no to or you’ll teach him that’s the pathway to getting what he wants.
If he doesn’t grow out of it, get a second opinion. My son did this for years and it wasn’t until he was 8 that he was diagnosed with Aspergers.
It’s a phase. Mine did it and it terrified me. But at first I would just say ouch baby! Don’t don’t do that! And shake my head no. Then I just had to ignore it and let him do it. He eventually got bored with it and I’m positive urs will too if you don’t feed into for too long.
I’ve also heard it could be headache related from teething. Catnip extract (I like Natures answer low alcohol 2,000mg) is a WONDERFUL anti inflammatory that does no harm to the lining of the stomach or kill healthy gut flora like ibuprofen/Tylenol does.
The biting- NO! And I would stick him in the corner. Every child is different so he may not respond to popping his butt or leg. Or being stuck in the corner. We counted out loud to 20 at that age and as much as he hated it, it did calm him down 99% of the time. But whatever u do, be extremely, extremely consistent or he will know there are exceptions and keep testing to find those exceptions.
He could have autism.
It’s a stage that all boys go through. Be patient mama, he will eventually grow out of it
Let him and stiff arm him when he’s running at you and tell him “mommy does NOT want to be by you when you’re mean”
Sounds like he might have autism
Is he getting enough sleep?
It might be Autism serious get checked out!
We has similar issues. My son did this till he was almost 3 years old. At 2 we were refered out to a behavior doctor and then on to speech therapy. My son has sensory processing disorder and mixed expressive receptive language disorder and was just so frustrated that he couldn’t communicate and we had him in a soft helmet for awhile to protect his head. But he would head butt things until he would bruise his head or draw blood so we had to use the helmet. If it gets that bad please see a doctor. There might be more going on and early diagnosis for things like this is so helpful because then the child can receive the earlier intervention.
My baby just turned 2 and she still bangs her head against things occasionally. She doesn’t have autism or any other issues. If anything she is very advanced for her age.
When she was younger she banged her head constantly. Even to the point where she would headbutt me on purpose.
I think it was just a sensory thing. Basically she wasnt getting enough stimulation so she was creating her own.
Try introducing new sensations to you little one. Warm, cold, soft, rough, crinkly toys, stuff they can bang together, musical instuments like drums or rattles etc.
Get on the Baby’s level and play with them face to face. At that age they are starting to notice that they can interact with their environment and make things happen. When they start the head banging distract them with a toy or song or funny noises.
You might want to talk to your pediatrician, I have heard this is a possible sign of Autism, I don’t mean to scare you but it’s better to get it ruled it out now and his pediatrician shoul also be able to make some good recommendations on what you can do.
Get him evaluated. Sounds like it could very well be Autism!!
Lol I use to head bang things I stopped once I found out you hit it hard enough it hurts. My daughter did the same thing and also stopped when she found out it hurts. Don’t beat yourself up he will learn! It sounds awful and looks awful but they will learn.
I would set up a pack and play and designate that as a time out spot. When he exhibits that behavior tell him no! and put him in the pack and play with one toy that can’t harm him and walk away. Time out is only 1 minute per numerical age, but if he needs to calm down he can stay there longer. Put it in a spot where you can go just around the corner so that you are in earshot but not eyesight. As soon as he calms down then you can retrieve him and tell him we don’t hit mommy or we don’t bite mommy. You trying to calm him in that moment is reinforcing the behavior. You have unintentionally taught him that that is how we behave. It’s hard as a mother to hear your child cry and especially to witness them hurting themselves, pack and plays have soft sides so he won’t be able to hurt himself too badly if he bangs his head.
My son did the hitting his head on the floor thing when he was younger I just stood there and let him do it never giving him attention he even did it in public once and I just stood there watching and he eventually stopped because he wasn’t getting any attention
The truth about this you may not like but it sounds like he is a spoiled brat who his ass when he does this and I do no what I’m talking about I raised 7 children kids no exactly what they can get buy with
I’d personally have him evaluated for ASD and/or sensory issues. I’m going through similar with my 2 year old and self-harm as you’re describing is one reason why. The biting and hitting and running into things can be sensory seeking.
It could just be a phase. They tend to use crying and actions to express things since they don’t have the words. Maybe try teaching some sign language to help? Its helped with my 2 year old a ton.
My mother in law ( mother if 11) said all of her kids did that when they were teething. And my son did it too and he stopped when his teeth were out!
Have you gone through early intervention? I would suggest it, just to be sure.
They will do an evaluation and let you know if physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy are recommended. Then, work with you on the frequency and where you want to start services (they can come to your home or a daycare). It is a government funded program, so the cost is based on your income.
The occupational therapist explained to me that sometimes when kids have sensory processing issues that they bang their head on stuff, hit, bite, and stuff like that.
In that stage as well right now with my 18 month old. My oldest went through it as well. They grow out of it quick. Few months.
And no, my oldest son is not autistic. They do it for attention. And almost everyone I know with sons has gone through it. Hes not hurting himself. Even if it leaves a bruise. If he would actually hurt himself, he will stop lol
My husband did the same thing when he was little. His mom still teases him about it to this day. He would get mad and just headbutt things. He grew up to be a normal functioning adult and he’s really smart. When our son turned about 14 months, he started doing the same thing. He would get mad or upset and headbutt the floor, wall, you, whatever was closest. He was a premie, and is advanced for his age. There are no concerns for autism and his doctor just said it’s something that some kids do to express their frustration. I made a soft chair in our living room a designated time out spot. If he gets mad and hits his head, then he has to go sit there until he calms down. It’s really made a difference and he hardly ever hits his head anymore.
My youngest did this at about the same age…it seemed like the less attention we drew towards it when she was doing it the less she did it
That is definitely not a phase. I hv been working and teaching young kids for 18 years and that is not normal or a phase. He needs to get evaluated by a professional. Yes, there are stages all ages go through that’s normal but his behavior is not normal. Sorry ur going through this, it is hard, be strong momma for you and your son…
You gotta remember hun toddlers and babies cant talk or barely communicate feelings when they’re this young so frustration comes out as screaming crying banging and tantrums and what not …it more than likely is a phase when my little brother was even younger than that up to a little after 2 years he would crawl really fast and bang his head on the cupboards when he was mad or even just told no …it wore off with constant redirection and time outs …then my little autistic cousin would constantly try to bang his head on the floor/counter if even so much as ketchup from him eating would drip on his shirt …all kids do this I think , but buy a little padded hat or something so he doesnt hurt himself !
I remember a lady who had a son who did this, just wanted to reach out and let you know your not alone and your doing a fantastic job, this to shall pass, we all as parents have a phase we have to go through if not that for us it WILL be something else … get a lot of foam connecting mats for the room and gates let him stay in certain areas that are safe clear the room of dangerous stuff pool noodles for corners or anything else
The best method I’ve found it to guess when he’s going to do it and stop him before he can. If that means 2-3 days of watching him like a hawk and following him around while you get no housework done, then so be it. Babies have such a short memory that I think if you can get him out of the groove of doing it, it’ll break his habit of doing it and he’ll forget about it.
This is how my son was. Have him evaluated through early intervention. Ask his doctors for a referral.
My nephew does the same thing and the only thing that seems to work is time out… I would try it in a pack n play so he can’t hurt himself. Also idk how you discipline but I would recommend no hitting or spanking just a firm No or we don’t do that it’s not nice and swiftly picking him up putting him in designated time out spot. 1 min for each year they are. My nephew is 2 so he gets 2 minutes. I’m the one who established this punishment with him since I realized everytime he didn’t get his way he would freak out scream, hit and headbutt the floor and he would get spanked and then he would try to hit his parent back. Time out works and calms him down and he doesn’t try to hit anyone or bite. He does try to slam his head still but not every single time. Once in time out I don’t look at him or talk to him until his fit is over then I tell him we have to be nice and give him love. Heartbeat hugs work best. That’s just chest to chest so they can feel your heartbeat and usually a little back rub.
My grandson did that when he was younger. You might have him evaluated to see if he has Autism.
Daniel tiger has episodes and on PBS app that starts the teaching of emotions. It also has a few coping skills. Time to teach these.
My brother did this as a child. He used to actually bang his head on the floor that’d he’d bruise it. My parents would run over and try to put a pillow under him. He grew up fine and normal. It’s a phase, he hadn’t figured out how to handle his emotions. I would suggest the book about emotions or other techniques to show him what he can do when he’s frustrated.
my prayers are with you darling pray to God and ask him to put peace in his little soul and renew his mind in Jesus name my prayers are with you
So sorry for you. Be strong. Don’t really have advice but, they like “shocked” expressions. Extreme but…My Babci dumped a cup of water on my brother who cried till blue around his mouth n passed out on que. He never did it again.
2 of my 4 boys did this for a bit around the same … Thankfully they did grow out of it!
My daughter would throw herself her self on the floor and scream till she was blue, ,I took her to the doctor about it.,when she dose it walk out of the room,she finally stopped .
My daughter’s head had it’s own orbit with gravitational pull. If it was anywhere near her head, she was hitting her head on it. Instead of freaking out or getting upset we would just laugh it off. She had a few black eyes, but is a perfectly normal 9yr old today. Your son will be fine. He is just that age.
Ignore it. And when he tries to do the other stuff grab his hand and put on the mean face and firmly say No we don’t do that in this house
My niece did this when she was a baby & still does. She’s autistic & manic bipolar. Don’t let him bang on hard surfaces, because later it can really hurt his eyesight. Hugs & prayers coming your way. Good luck sweetie
Pop his as he can learn
Sweetie you are a good mom, I know because your worried about your child…
Your the best mom he has follow your gut.
If he hits his head or comes at you put him in time out then ignore him until he calms down . Then talk to him and love him. If hes tired he may fall asleep love him when he wakes up . It’s ok momma your doing great.
His going to be ok sent prayers too him God bless him in Jesus name Amene
He needs a therapist if he is inflicting pain on himself he may have a mental disorder
I baby sat for a little guy o e time and he would hit his head a the time on the playpen rail his little was bruised terrible. I asked his mo. If I could try do break him of that and she gave me the ok so the next day when. I arrived at their house I was carrying a spray bottle with cold water, when he started banging his head he got sprayed, it didnt hurt him just got a little wet. But in a few days he stopped banging his head. Also works on temper tantrums
If he does it hard enough to bring blood then see a doctor…if not he will learn that shit hurts and stop.
My son does this and he’s autistic. People say it’s just a phase. It’s actually one of the biggest red flags for autism
I think he needs help or a ass whipping, that’s the problem. People are to scared to make their children mind my question is. If u don’t make children behave or show respect. Then pray tell how are they going to be as adults and make it in this world. Children need to learn. The world doesn’t revolve around them
You need to take action. If you’re afraid to bust their ass there’s other ways to punish them. Not saying to mistreat them, make sure they know they aren’t in control of anything when they’re young, when they grow up, well they’ve on their own, they make to many wrong turns,they’ll go to jail, their decision when they grow up,right now you’re in control of their iives.
,
I wonder if fitting him with a helmet would make it easier on the blow.
They have programs for children you can sign up for, call your school district.
Behavior Modification (ABA) therapists will teach you after Dr. suggests it. It will change his life for the better, you won’t regret it but you will if you don’t try. I know it wrks
You may need to have him refered to a specialist to make sure there is or isn’t anything that would be causing this. So sorry your going through this. Wish you all the best.
You may want to go to a different doctor to have them run some tests. Some developmental disorders will manifest like this at a young age.
There are many things that can be causing your child to act in this manner. It could be behavioral, it also could be medical. It may be years until you really have an answer if you get one at all. Sorry I am an RN and sometimes we just don’t have the answers. First and foremost being a single mom do you have a support system and a way to get some time to yourself? You have to take care of yourself! Second, I would,if possible, keep a log to the best of your ability of what is happening everyday. Foods/fluid taken in, behaviors what happened before the behavior, what you did, how did your child respond. Try to be consistent with your reaction. I think the playpen is a good option, every time your child does this behavior you respond by putting them in the playpen for a certain short period of time (2minutes), make sure not to interact during this time period it is like a time out. Using the playpen will give you the ability to keep your child safe and walk away for a few minutes to give yourself a breather. As long as it is consistent he will start to learn consequences. 3. Have you spoken to your doctor about possibly reaching out to an RN case manager about some resources for you and your child? I am not sure of the age that home based therapy can start but if your office or healthcare system or even insurance offers case management take advantage of it. You do not have to be in this alone. It takes a lot of courage to reach out, good for you for being courageous, it is scary to parent and even harder to do it alone. Best of luck! If you happen to be within Wellspan Health PCP or use any of our hospitals/facilities you can reach out to me privately and I can connect you with the right RN case manager. Even if you are not within Wellspan if you need further guidance I would be happy to be a resource to you, feel free to reach out anytime.
My son is 3 now, when he was a year old he did the same thing I tried many thing to get him to stop hitting his head on everything when he was mad. One thing that got him to slow down then eventually stop was when he would start I would walk away from him and ignore him. He wouldnt do it as much cause he finally figured out I wasnt going to comfort his bad behavior. But I had to be strong and walk out of the room he was doing it in. Hope this helps it helped me.
You got this when he starts pick up him and put in crib or play pen and don’t talk to him and when calms pick up