Headbanging is Rhythmic

About six months ago, we were concerned about the kids hitting their heads when they fell down. We asked their pediatrician, Dr. C., about it and he said: 1) it's no big deal unless they knock themselves out; and, 2) some kids hit their heads over and over on purpose, specifically stating, "it's rhythmic - it's like masturbation." What? Who? Where did that come from? Just in case we weren't clear, Dr. C. was vigorously nodding his head back and forth to simulate head banging when he said it. Heather and Brooke were both in the room, so I didn't think it was a good time to ask for elaboration. Lord knows what he would have said.

I've had the image of Dr. C. nodding his head back and forth saying that burned into my brain for six months. I think about it almost every day, sometimes several times a day. I don't mean to think about it; it just happens.

Then, a few weeks ago, just like Dr. C. said, Henry started banging his head rhythmically on his crib at night. I hear smack - smack - smack from his bedroom at night, over and over. We try to stop him, but he just starts back again. It's how he puts himself to sleep.

The loud noise in stereo from the room above and the baby monitor on my night stand is bad enough, but I lay awake wondering what Dr. C. meant. Was he trying to explain it by letting us know that a child's headbanging was like that to us? Did he mean it was like that to him? Surely he didn't mean the kids. I seriously have no idea - other than headbanging can be rhythmic. But he could have left out the other part entirely and I would have understood. It's very disturbing.

After a few too many nights of head smacking, we finally determined that the risks to Henry's head from the banging outweighed any possible risks of entanglement from crib bumpers at his age, so we put the bumpers in.


With the bumpers, we've noticed less bruises on Henry's head and the banging sounds a little softer. The smack is now more of a thud, which is nice.

Last night, though, while Henry was banging and I was staring at the ceiling thinking about that, Heather rolled over, half asleep, and said: "Man, Henry sure is going to town up there." I was awake for almost an hour after that.