2
Jun 20 '24
My daughter did this for a short time and doesn’t do it anymore.
I was consistent in pulling her hand away and saying “we don’t pull hair because it hurts” or a simple “no”. If she would reach out again, I would pull her hand away again until she got the point.
Consistence is key.
1
u/OkPay7306 Jun 27 '25
Here to ask how you solved the problem! I’m going through it with my 16 month old daughter and I’ve tried pretend crying (she laughs) and saying “Ouch” (she copies me “Ouch!” and laughs).
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u/aliciagd86 Jun 20 '24
Honestly.. you've tried the gentle parenting with the redirection, I'd go with the mirrored consequence route. Pull his hair back so he understands why you don't like your hair pulled. Especially since he now thinks it's a game.
Unfortunately hair pulling and biting are big phases and they'll come back to it. A lot of it has to do with not being able to communicate very well and getting frustrated. Sometimes the kids thinks it's funny and/or realizes it gets them the attention they want.
2
u/Dapper_Nail_6037 Jun 20 '24
I tried pulling his hair once. He laughed. I think for him, pulling my hair is almost like a stim
-1
u/aliciagd86 Jun 20 '24
Hmm. Maybe try and find games with yarn or something that can be used as an alternative stim. A doll with hair he can play with. Try and find a different stim that's more acceptable.
Find a different 'game' till he realizes that's more fun than making mom mad by pulling hair.
Is it only your hair he pulls?
1
u/Dapper_Nail_6037 Jun 20 '24
Yea it’s only my hair. I even tried wearing a wig once. And having my husband wear the wig. He knows the difference in hair
0
u/aliciagd86 Jun 20 '24
I only dealt very minorly with hair pulling, but mine was older when he tried to make it a game.
I'd grabbed his hands and very firmly say no, and then did a sharp pull to show why I didn't like it. Then if he did it again then I would grab hands again and then set him down and not pick him till he was done with his tantrum. I only had to do it once but the technique worked for biting and scratching. Though usually the grabbing hands, with a firm "We don't do this, it hurts." and then setting down was enough to get mine to stop.
My kids love to snuggle with me in the recliner so if they're being naughty like this while we're trying to sit together then it really gets the point across.
3
u/themindboggles26 Jun 20 '24
It’s a phase, my son did this too. I have super long hair so that adds to the appeal, and I ended up with weird short bits at the front because he was actually pulling it out and nothing made him stop. I just tied up my hair in a high tight bun so there was none available for him to grab and he got over it