Head Spinning 1 Year Old

My 3 month old does this often, especially when she's tired and trying not to fall asleep. She's been doing it for a month now. She whips her head back and forth real fast, like I wrote, mostly when she's tired. I'm not concerned because it doesn't seem to bother her and she's so active anyway. My nephew did it too and never grew out of it. Now he likes spinning around until he goes "splat" and hanging upside down on the monkey bars.

--L.

My son is almost 4 and still does it when he is really tired and trying to stay awake. It's kinda wierd - but harmless.

Everyone is right, it's normal for kids to do this kind of thing because they like feeling dizzy. But even beyond it being harmless, it's actually GOOD for them! Here's a link you might like to check out:
http://fitness.preschoolrock.com/index.php/articles/spinn...

It says:
Want to boost your preschooler’s brain development? Provide opportunities for preschoolers to engage in activities that involve the body spinning in any way.
When preschoolers spin, different parts of the brain are stimulated all at the same time. This builds new and more developed pathways throughout the brain – pathways that improve learning potential, spatial awareness, rhythm and more. Spinning activities actually develop pre-reading skills and concepts while at the same time improving balance, muscle control and gross motor skills.

hi H.,

My son did that around the same age and I was worried he was nuts or had a fly trapped in his brain. The Dr. assured me he was absolutely fine and that kids just enjoy learning new sensations w/ their bodies. He grew out of it in a couple of months, I think.

Best,
M.

My son did the same thing. He did it by accident at around 10 mo and then figured out how to do it all the time. He has grown out of it but has now figured out how to turn in a circle (he's 16 mo old). She will probably stop doing it when she figures out a new thing she can do!

H.

I am SO GLAD you have posted this. My son (he will be 3 in January) has been doing this for about a month. I don't know when he discovered it exactly, but it has been making me so nervous!!!! I think with the rise of Autism (and especially among boys) I constantly look for signs (because catching it early is key from what I understand) and wonder "Is he doing this because he's autistic?" (he shows NO other signs of autism - I am just paranoid!!) It's gotten to the point where I have told him he is not allowed to do that. My husband thinks I am crazy and that the head shaking doesn't hurt anything. I am going to ask my pediatrician about it, but it is SO NICE to see that other kids are doing this. My son only does it when he gets REALLY excited. And he usually runs around and does the head shaking at the same time. ANd it' exactly how you described it ~ like they are shaking their head "no" very fast. In reading the other posts, I feel better and I think you should too :) Best of luck!!!

My son did that for a few months......I think it's the discovery of being dizzy and also the "newness" of the world going back and forth quickly.

He got out of it when he tired of it.

good luck

My 2 year old son still doest that on occasion. It used to creep me out too, but the doc said it ain't no thang, and when I saw another little boy at the park doing it too, I became less and less worried about it.

One thing we did notice though, was he used to tilt his head back and look toward the sky frequently . . . . that in fact turned out to be a sign of acid reflux, but if yours isn't throwing up, I wouldn't worry about that.

My son did the same thing for awhile and now he is out of that stage and he is 19 months old. I would not worry about it because it is just a stage some kids go through.

T.

Hi H.. My girl was born September 07 too! She started doing this around 7 months, about the same time she learned 'no.' When we didn't want her to get into something, we'd say, "Leave that alone" while (unknowingly) shaking our heads. She would imitate us, like she was saying no too. Then later, she would shake her head if we said no, or just shake her head to try to get us to do it with her. I wouldn't worry. It's a normal thing, and she is just learning how to express herself. Have fun with her! And as a side note, from someone who also works 3 days/week, I know the transition can be hard, and you may not like to be away from her, but it will be good. You will get a break and get to use your brain in a different way......and she will gain interaction with more people, whether a family member is watching her or she's going to daycare. She will benefit from the social activity. And she'll still love you the most. :)

Hi H.,

My daughter did the same thing at about the same age. Thankfully it was short lived. It must be the dizziness that the kids like. When she gets older, she also might spin in circles, more than you're comfortable with, but she'll be okay. It's just a thrill!

Hi H.,

My son did that for a short time- he also enjoyed the feeling of it- I just told him if he wants to do that, he has to do it by himself in his crib. He ended up doing it once in his crib and found he didn't like not getting the attention with it. He never did it again~ So, I would just praise her for all the good things she is doing and ignore the other. If she keeps doing it, try the crib technique. It worked for me~

Molly

There is a developmental reason for this! Please don't discourage her! Young children love this kind of movement and while many of us adults find it stomach churning, it is helping the child's inner ear and balance develop. Soon she will be spinning. My daughter at 6 still does that every once in a great while. Have you tried holding her and spinning around to music? I did this with my daughter at about this age and she would want me to do it over and over. You can build up a resistance to it ;-) but take breaks and go the other way every once in awhile.

Hi H.,

My first son did this when he was younger and still does, but now likes to stand up afterwards to see if he'll fall (he's 3 yrs). My second son, who turned 1 in June, started doing this too. It seems to be something they enjoy. I figure it feels to them like riding a roller coaster would feel to us.

My boys always do things that make me wonder "what are they thinking?!?" but they are so much fun! Enjoy these times...they grow up fast!

Are you looking forward to going back to work H. or would you rather be able to stay home with your kids?

T.

They just like to feel dizzy - it isn't until we become older that we associate the feeling of dizzy with nausea. Look at it this way - you know how little girls will spin and spin in order to see their dresses fan out, or how toddlers in general will run in small circles or spin until they fall down? Its just the novelty of the feeling, and completely normal. She is just having fun!

My two and a half year old likes to "twirl" endlessly until she is stumbling and falling about, and generally just collapses into giggles when she cannot stand anymore. Most, if not all, children love to be picked up and spun by an adult. Im a special ed teacher - there is nothing unusual about the behavior, so let her do it all she wants, and put it out of your head. There are lots more important things to worry about with a toddler, and this is just harmless play!

My 10 month old son does that. He's been doing it since he had control over his head. I wondered about it too, but it sounds like he's not the only one out there doing it, so I think your daughter is fine (cause I don't think there is anything wrong with my son :)). I think he just likes the dizzy feeling. I'm betting when he gets older he's going to be one of those kids that spins around and around!

Hi H.,
There is nothing to worry about. My son started this behavior at 7 1/2 months and I immediately got freaked out that he might be autistic (even though he has not shown any other signs). I asked his pediatrician about it and he said that there is nothing to worry about and that he has a lot of patients that do the same thing. I have started to watch for a pattern with Nathan and he does it when he is starting to get tired or is bored. I am sure that it is just a faze. Have fun ejoying your little girl.
Jenn

My children did this and for a long time...You can always refer her to the Regional center in your County... they will evaluate her now and every 6 months to make sure she has no issues!!! That way you can feel better and be sure that she is OK and if she should need any assistance, the county will pay for her needs!!!Thank God my mother in law was on the ball and made me do this, my sons turned out to be autistic but thanks to early intervention of the Regional are doing better and better!!! Almost recovered!!! So don't be afraid, the more you know, the better prepared you are to tackle any situation!!! I am not saying your child is autistic in any way, just think you can feel better, being sure she is OK!!! My pediatrician was not on the ball and if I had listened to her, God knows what would have happened... the earlier you catch any diagnose, THE BETTER!!!

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/