Starting at six months of age and between one year, some children have a weapon to get their parents' attention: to self-strike. At an early age, babies do not know how to regulate their behavior and when they feel frustrated or very angry, one way to express what they are feeling is hitting the head with the floor, cradle or wall, pulling hair or trying to vomit. It is a behavior that although not very frequent and is not a symptom of disturbance or abnormality is worrying for parents. If the child acting in this way gets the attention of adults becomes part of his behavioral repertoire and it will be more difficult to eliminate it.
The important thing is to prevent this behavior from becoming a habit. It is not necessary to "neglect" or "ignore" a child who is hit because it could be hurt. If the child develops in an environment of respect, honey, is heard and welcomed, surely he will not have to go to the extreme of being attacked. Before an episode of this type, the first thing is not to be distressed so as not to transmit more distress to the child, rather tranquility must be demonstrated. It is advisable to try to distract him with another activity different from the one that caused him anger. It is very important to contain him without drama to prevent him from continuing to hit himself. Many times it works to take it by the shoulders (to prevent blows) and calmly say "I don't like you doing that you hurt yourself." We must never give in if it is a whim. Once the tantrum disappear We can take him in his arms and pamper him.
Parents should reflect and observe the situations in which aggression occurs. A hostile environment, with arguments and shouts or a context where the child feels unattended and their needs are not covered can trigger this type of behavior. It is a baby call because something is happening at home.
On the other hand, if the behavior becomes very frequent, compulsive, there are other changes such as irregular sleep, lack of appetite, unjustified cries, there may be more than a wake-up call and it is advisable to consult a specialist.
