Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

hiting herself

My almost three year old granddaughter has taken to hitting herself whenever she get told no to anything.  She does have speech delays and we are waiting for her to be evaluated by professionals.  She is actually getting bruises along her temple, so we are desparate to find a way to get her to stop.  Her parents have tried gently holding her hands, talking calmly and they are worried and frustrated.  The evaluation is a month away, so any help for the interim is really appreciated.
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Thanks for the response.  She get bruised from actually hitting herself.  We all have tried to distract her but she has quite a focus for her age.   I babysat her a couple weeks ago and she wanted to play in the sink in the bathroom instead of taking her bath.  When I said no, she started crying and hitting herself.  This is the general way it starts for her.  I tried to get her to play with her toys to distract her, but it took about 20 minutes for her to settle down and not lay on the floor kicking and hitting herself.  We have also tried to 'just ignore it' but that really does not seem to work when she is this upset.  We hope that when the evaluation is finish, they can give her parents some suggestions too.  Right now we are just trying to get through the month till then without too many of these incidents.  
Thanks again for your post.
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
Distraction is the best way,holding her hands when she doesnt want them held will only make ir worse in fact it is possible that has reinforced the behavior,however well intentioned yet  it is hard to see them do it .How does she get the bruises is she banging her head on the floor ? When she starts to do it perhaps start a game up something she will like doing ,some music some dancing , distract her by fun,and  Games from the behavior. Perhaps she gets upset, so check out what could be the cause.what happens prior to it. Dont feed into it it could also be a way of getting attention, instead focus on her getting positive attention.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Child Behavior Community

Top Children's Health Answerers
189897 tn?1441126518
San Pedro, CA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments