I know frustration is voiced in many different ways, especially in instances with babies and toddlers, but what do you do when the child’s actions could be detrimental to themselves?
I ask this question because when things don’t go Leo’s way, he will persistently hit himself. Usually in his face, and his actions are obviously brought on by the negative attention he has attracted to himself by doing something that he shouldn’t be.
When he does hit himself, he isn’t gentle and really does give himself a slap. It pains me to watch and there have been times I have held his hand so that he can’t do it, but this just makes him angrier still.
The slightest trivial circumstances can bring about Leo hitting himself, and he will look at me directly as if he is insinuating that it is my fault somehow.
Have any of your children got so frustrated that they lash out at themselves? Is this even a normal part of child development and growing up?
I know it is through shear frustration and it manifests itself in many forms, but do you think this is something that he will just grow out of?
When we are out in public and I have to tell Leo not to do something, and he decides he is going to get angry. I have to contend with people staring as my child hit’s himself in the face, I have no real explanation to give these people piercing me with their pitty stares and although it is nothing to do with them, I would still like the reassurance that it is just a temper tantrum.
What do you think?
