1 1/2 yr old son bites himself when throwing a temper tantrum

My son is 19 months old and has a very bad temper. When he does not get his way he has a tantrum, bangs his head on the floor or wall and even bites himself - HARD! Yesterday he bit himself so hard he broke skin and bled. I am worried about his behavior and not sure how to handle this. He is my first child so I am not experienced with how to handle it. I am not sure if this is considered "bad" behavior and he should be punished or if this is a cry for help. Please advise. Thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

This is a version of tantrum behavior, which occurs when young children become flooded with rage when they are frustrated. Generally, the best approach to managing tantrums is to ignore the tantrum entirely and not to interact with the child at all during the tantrum. But, when children hurt themselves during tantrums, it sometimes requires that they be help tightly until they calm down, in order to prevent injury. But such restraint should occur only when necessary. As your son matures, his capacity to manage the anger that accompanies frustration will improve.

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