Headbutting

[Devaskyla]

My nearly 3y.o ds is driving me nuts! Almost everytime he walks past me, he headbutts me. It doesn't hurt, most of the time, but it does throw me off-balance and he's nearly knocked me off my feet a couple of times.

How can I get him to stop? I've told him it's not nice, I've told him it hurts me, that he nearly knocked me over, etc. He just doesn't care. So far I've managed not to tell yell at him, which is amazing given how easily I yell (something I'm trying to work on), but I'm really out of ideas. I can't even catch him before he does it, because he doesn't do it every time and when he does, it's usually when I'm busy doing something else (dishes, walking down the hall with stuff)

Anyone have any ideas?

[Embee]

When he headbutts you next, stop what you're doing, take his hand and lead him to the couch (or something equally as soft). Tell him if he'd like to head butt something, he's welcome to do so with the couch all he would like. If it's your attention he's after, tell him that "you prefer that he ask for it with his words, please." Repeat. Repeat again. And again.... as often as it takes before this too passes. And it will. Hang in there!

Good luck!

[paloma]

good idea!

[annettemarie]

No suggestions, but did your dh teach him to headbutt? The one thing my hubby took from the Sears books was William Sears teaching his babies to "bump heads."
Just wondering.
Annette

[Marsupialmom]

Do you have a cat? LOL My youngest learned to do it from the cat. She was driving us nuts with this behavior until one day we saw them two butting heads. After we stopped laugher we just guided her to the cat and the couch to head butt on.

My oldest did it after we left my first husband, his bio-dad. He was doing it out of anger, frustration, and missing his bio-dad. I handled it with lost of love.

[Devaskyla]

It seems to something he's come up with completely on his own, since we don't have a cat and dh has never taught it to him. Although, my mom does have a cat. He's only ever seen her a couple of times, so I don't know if it was enough to pick up something like that.

He's also started licking us. EWW! Maybe it all is from the cat.

[annettemarie]

Ahhhh... the licking. I've experienced that as well!


Annette