"My 11-month-old baby likes to pull my hair hard. How can I teach him to stop doing this?"
Your baby's hair-pulling high jinks probably started innocently enough. He yanked your hair by accident, you let out a yelp, he giggled, you couldn't help but laugh back (it was so cute the first time!), and, voilà, a game of cause and effect was born.
Keep these tips in mind if you want to end baby hair pulling:
- Stay calm. Any kind of reaction from you yields the effect he's looking for; aim for a no-nonsense "no."
- Show and tell. Back up your words by prying your hair out of your son's fist. Words, as valuable a teaching tool as they are, can still be lost on a young child.
- Offer a positive with the negative. Teaching your son what is acceptable behavior is as important as teaching him what isn't. Take his hand and stroke your hair or cheek gently, saying, "Mommy likes this."
- Distract and conquer. Divert his attention with a song or toy — eventually he'll get bored with the hair-pulling game.
- Be consistent. Say no each time he pulls your hair, since mixed messages are confusing to little ones.
- Say it again. You can't expect him to learn a lesson the first time it's taught — or the tenth. Repeat the message "No pulling Mom's hair" every time until it finally sinks in.
Sooner or later your son's fascination with hair pulling will end, likely only to be replaced by another unpleasant habit (hitting or biting or pinching, for instance). These tips can help nip these newfound behaviors in the bud too.
Welcome to the toddler years!
Read This Next
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
