First smile, the first word, the first uncertain steps - each achievement of the child causes pride in his parents. This bright and joyful picture is overshadowed by oddities in the behavior of the crumbs, which over time become more noticeable. Here the baby eats spools from the carpet, and then suddenly begins bang your head against the wall or explore your intimate places in a crowded place. At such moments in the head of an adult, thoughts are floating that maybe something is wrong with the child. Or does he just go through the natural stage of his development and growing up?
Oddities in behavior are generally characteristic of children aged 2-3 years (in anticipation of 3 years crisis) Many of them are absolutely harmless and just help the child calm down and feel more comfortable and confident in this vast world. Nevertheless, it will be useful for adults to find out what in the behavior of the kids you need to pay special attention to and what new habits of the crumbs it is worth telling the doctor.
In this article, we will tell you what is normal in the behavior of a small child, and what is a reason to sound the alarm. Let's try to decipher the secret language of the kids and understand why they sometimes perform such strange and incomprehensible adult actions.
Actions aimed at complacency and banging his head against the wall
Head banging on the wall - yes, it sometimes looks intimidating. Especially if you put the "adult" meaning of the expression "bang your head against the wall." However, for children aged 1-2 years - this is normal, no matter how wild it is to hear about this.
At 1-2 years, babies sometimes make repetitive movements just to calm themselves when they get into a stressful situation, get tired, get bored.The child can swing from side to side or even rhythmically bang his head against the wall, floor, crossbar of his crib. Although it looks scary and parents are afraid of such behavior, it is unlikely that the child will be able to harm himself in this way. Most often, the habit of making soothing repetitive movements passes by the age of 3 years. Until the baby has grown up, try to protect it as much as possible - for example, move it to a soft carpet, on which the crumbs certainly will not hurt your forehead.
We also read: Why does a child bang its head on the floor and walls - reasons and how to react?
If a child sucks a finger or pacifier, it is likely that these are also his ways of relieving stress. When babies do this, everything looks cute. When a child grows up, the emotion of parents gives way to anxiety.However, there are no obvious reasons for concern if the baby is tied up with this habit by 4 years. Further sucking of a finger or a dummy can already negatively affect the state of the gums and create problems with the development of speech.
In addition to fingers, babies drag dirt, sand, pet food into their mouths. All this is normal, as many children do, and, having matured, they forever forget about these habits. A child can be very picky in food, but inedible objects are examined precisely by the mouth.
It is necessary to bring the child to the pediatrician if the child sways, bangs his head against the wall or performs other repetitive movements all day long. A situation may also be dangerous when there are a lot of disturbing bells in the behavior of a peanut. For example, he not only chews inedible things, but is not particularly attached to parents and siblings, he also suffers from a speech delay.
Performing rituals
At the age of 1-2 years, babies sometimes have their own rituals that they perform every day. For example, some carefully and for a long time arrange their toys in a straight line. If this order is violated, the baby becomes so offended that he can lose control of himself and throw a tantrum. Such rituals appear due to the fact that children also have a need for constancy, so that everything is stable and good. This behavior itself is absolutely normal, as long as the child perceives it as a game - for example, puts trains at the station exactly at night so that they can sleep.
We also read: The importance of rituals in the life of a child and family
If the baby puts plush friends on the backs or tummies so that they are comfortable sleeping, it is obvious that he is playing. In this case, parents have nothing to worry about. A wake-up call is the child’s obsession with building toys in a certain order in the absence of interest in games. Parents should be alert and the fact that the baby is immersed in his own invented world, does not want to communicate with others. Another reason to show the child to the doctor is his desire to certainly perform his usual ritual, even if for this you have to interrupt food or any other activity.
Body study
Young children often pick their nose. After all, get a booger out of there — how to find a hidden treasure. Slowly teach your child to use a handkerchief and napkins so that he can then get rid of the habit of picking his nose.
Even children study their body, especially intimate places, which is normal. The main problem is that the child makes the parents blush if he does this in front of their friends and acquaintances. Unpleasant situations can be prevented if you explain to the child that you can explore your body at home, but with outsiders it is better not to do this.
Experts advise not to ban, but to give recommendations on behavior: it is not customary to touch yourself in a kindergarten, in a store or in the presence of other people. And, as a rule, the baby is prone to this habit if he spends a lot of time bored and not having fun. Take care of filling the child's leisure so that he is not bored.
It is abnormal to have an excessive interest in your body, a constant desire to touch yourself - instead of playing with other children, listening to a fairy tale, watching a cartoon.
Imaginary and toy friends of a child
Surely, almost every adult has come across children for whom toys are the whole universe. They put them to sleep so that they leave no room for themselves, or take a whole arsenal of “friends” at all exits from the house. There are kids who communicate with characters invented in the head that are invisible to others. There are some guys who think that Carlson awaits them at the cottage.
If we exclude some awkward situations in society, such a habit is a natural reaction of a growing crumb to the fact that the world is constantly changing. We should not forget about the richest children's imagination.It is difficult for kids to immediately adapt to an adult and in a largely incomprehensible world for them, because they create for themselves a completely comfortable place - an imaginary world. If adults acknowledge and somehow encourage such a world of their child, they thereby fuel its activity towards creation and creation, which is already very good. And situations where a beloved “friend” is lost or goes to the laundry can be stressful for the baby. But there is a way out of this situation. For parents, this is a great opportunity to explain to the child that sometimes you need to do without the usual things.
Most often, games with imaginary friends in young children do not go beyond the norm, therefore, they do not require medical intervention. However, if parents began to notice that each time, instead of meeting with real friends, the baby decides to stay home to play with invented friends, then you need to contact a specialist.
We also read: Your child's imaginary friends: who are they and is there any cause for concern?
Games with pot and diaper contents
A small child who was born not so long ago and is now actively exploring the world is interested in literally everything. Sometimes there are completely “vile” situations at first glance. The child relieved his need for a diaper, and then pulled it, extracted the contents and actively sculpts, draws on the walls or even tastes feces.
Children a little older can carry out similar manipulations with the contents of the pot if the mother was distracted and could not stand it in time. Adults are often overwhelmed with panic, screaming, and bouts of disgust about this, but in fact there is no reason for concern. For the baby, feces are a new material for games. He was part of his body, therefore does not pose a threat to the child (from the position of himself).
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Parents just need to make feces less fun. In order to discourage a child's desire to sculpt their own excrement, it is necessary to develop and satisfy his tactile needs. For this, children's plasticine or dough (special from the store or homemade for pies), kinetic sand, and at least the construction of castles made of mud are great, all this will fully satisfy the tactile needs of the child. Other nuances are a matter of time and technology of parents. You will need to monitor the pot more often, and fasten the diaper more tightly (you can use at least adhesive tape 🙂) or tuck it inside the clothes.
Strange tastes of children
It often happens that young children eat everything that causes an adult a sense of surprise and misunderstanding. This can be a ball of dust and wool, a piece of chalk, a toilet litter for a cat, pebbles on the street, contact lenses, inedible plants and other garbage.
Parents do not need to worry. The fact is that the child uses his mouth as an important tool for exploring the world. Therefore, often what cannot be eaten will be at least licked by the child. Kids often bite something, lick or suck - for an early age this is the norm. Any adult can recall the tip of a pen or eraser from a pencil in his mouth. But at the same time, it is difficult for an adult to admit that eating wool is normal.
It is important to pay attention to the severity of the habit of crumbs and its frequency. If the child very often eats dirt or pile from the carpet, of course, you need to see a doctor.
Picking nose
Of course, looking at this is not particularly pleasant. But you have to admit: the nostrils are particularly interesting holes for study, especially in childhood. The key skill in this situation is to keep calm over and over again and offer to use a handkerchief in the nursery or go to the bathroom, because "no one here likes to watch it."
Other strange habits
It also happens that children confuse day and night, and heat with cold. Sometimes they demand to put on overalls on them in a hot season, and sometimes they prefer to run around the apartment naked. Other babies like to imagine themselves as a dog or cat, barking or meowing merrily, running on all fours, demanding a bowl and licking their faces.Parents should not be afraid of the oddities of the child. This is a natural stage of development, which involves awareness of the world and its place in it. This category is normal until it interferes with life. You just need to explain when you can be a dog, and when not.
Adults will only need patience, this stage will soon pass. In the meantime, you can allow your baby to show imagination at will. Such children often later discover the ability to theatrical art. To maintain a “fighting spirit”, parents can make a short video of the strange addictions “puppy”, which requires attention, jumps and barks around the apartment. After many years, this funny movie will be very cool to show at the wedding of such a bully.
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Bad habits - School of Dr. Komarovsky
Up to two years, a nephew sometimes stood on the toe of one leg when he did not like something. Could walk like that for a while. Parents did not panic, but consulted a doctor. The neurologist showed no deviations in the baby, but said to observe. The habit passed by itself.
Based on my personal experience, I can say that if a child was born healthy, normal (and pediatricians can determine this already in the first hours of his life), then there is nothing to worry about. After all, a child meets a new world, gets used to the environment, every day for him is like space exploration. Even his own movements and body members enthrall him, surprise and delight.
My daughter never recognized the nipple, but she loved to suck on her fingers. Hands were constantly in the company. What we just did not do to wean from this habit, and smeared with salt, and scolded, and explained. Nothing helped, and then, somewhere in 4 years old I saw that I was painting my nails and wanted too. I agreed, but with the condition - fingers should not be poked in the mouth. So they repeated a couple of times, after which the daughter began to forget about her habit.
It turns out a proverb from life: in childhood, I did not have toys, it’s good that at least he was born a boy ...