Is it normal for children to beat themselves up?

The innocence of children is sure to piss you off. However, when he starts whining and crying, you must be stifling to see him. Especially if the child likes to hit other people even himself when he is upset. This is sure to worry you. Is it normal for children to do this action? What should parents do to calm their children? Find out the answer more clearly in the following review.

Is it normal for children to beat themselves up?

Most children who are tantrums will hit, bite, and hit their head on something. When you first find your little one doing this, you will be very surprised. Actually this action is commonly done by children.

When the child has started to grow, he will explore the environment and know what is needed or wanted. However, the child has not been able to convey this. Maybe he can only show it with gestures or also inform in unclear words.

This inability makes children stressed and frustrated. As a result, your little one will beat himself up as a way of expressing resentment.

In addition, children like to beat themselves up when they feel sick and uncomfortable. For example, when your little one has a middle ear infection. His sore and itchy ears will make him touch or hit his ear.

What you need to pay attention to is how often the child does this. If this behavior occurs very frequently for no apparent reason, your child is likely to have autism spectrum syndrome symptoms. Children with this condition usually show symptoms such as hitting the chin, biting their hands, placing their face on their knees, hitting their head, or banging their heads.

However, every child is different. There are many other reasons that make children like to hit or hurt themselves. If you are worried, consult a doctor or child psychologist.

How to deal with it?

Even though it is common in children, it doesn't mean that you just let this happen. When they are old enough and able to communicate well, children will leave this habit because they understand that this action can harm them.

Some steps to stop your child's habit of hitting himself include:

1. Know the triggers

If you often find children doing this often, you should be suspicious of some of the things that trigger it. Your child may start tantrums when they are hungry, sleepy, feel sick, tired, or when you just ignore them.

2. Stop the movement of his hand that starts hitting

When he starts hitting his hand, you have to be quick to resist the movement. Approach the child and focus your attention on him when you intend to stop the movement.

3. Calm the child with words and hugs

When your child is upset or in pain, giving your little one attention is the key to calming himself down. In addition to being around him, you need to give him words that make him calm and feel safe. A pat on the top of your head, shoulders, or even a hug may be necessary.

4. Ask what your little one wants or feels

After calming her down, the next step was to determine what made her hit herself. It is indeed difficult to understand what a child wants, especially if he cannot communicate fluently. You need to pay close attention to body movements, mouth, or listen to your baby's voice again and guess what he is saying with other words that are similar or close to it.