What 8 Weird Types of Child Behavior Really Mean

Sometimes it seems like children are tempted to eat the yuckiest treats like dirt in your backyard or a booger they managed to dig out from their nose. To adults, this and a lot of other stuff children do may seem strange and inexplicable. For example, you might wonder why your kid bangs their head on the crib before going to sleep. But there’s actually a reason children do these things.

We at Bright Side want to explain some of this weird behavior to you. And don’t worry, it’s not just your kid — a lot of children do these things!

1. Holding their breath

During breath-holding, your child might cry and then stop breathing for up to 1 minute, become stiff, turn blue or gray, and even faint for a few minutes. And believe it or not, it’s actually not something they can control. These episodes can happen because your child is angry, upset, afraid, in shock, or in pain. Although it might look scary, it’s usually harmless, and these episodes stop occurring by the age of 4 or 5.

2. Constantly taking off their clothes

Children don’t feel ashamed when they’re naked. So it’s no problem for them to take off their clothes anytime, anywhere — even in public places. They might do it because their clothes are uncomfortable or because they feel hot. Another reason they might undress is because they’ve just learned to do it on their own, so it’s a new skill that makes them feel more independent.

3. Drinking bathwater

Children might not understand that bathwater is different from drinking water. And since children play during bathtime, the water is a part of it, so they might decide it’s fun to drink it.

4. Banging their head

Some children bang their heads into their crib’s railing, pillows, or mattresses when they’re falling asleep or in the middle of the night. Around 15% of children do it. And while some consider it a disorder, others believe this is a type of self-soothing behavior, like thumb-sucking, for example. In any case, it’s usually harmless and it stops on its own, so no treatment is needed.

5. Shoving things into their ears, nose, and eyes

Children like to explore the world. So when they put small things into their ears, nose, and eyes, they’re experimenting with different objects. They just want to see how they work and what might happen to them.

6. Eating weird stuff

Children can eat almost anything — from boogers to insects to dirt. They want to explore new things and what better way to do that than to use your taste receptors? And in the case of boogers, they actually taste good to kids!

7. Pulling their hair

Children under 2 years old might twirl or pull their hair to calm themselves. They might also do it because they’re bored. By 3 years old, they learn to notice how their parents react to this and it might become part of attention-seeking behavior or tantrums. In older children, hair-pulling can also be a sign of ADHD.

8. Wanting to read the same book over and over again

Listening to a story they already know can help children feel in control. And that control gives them a sense of comfort. They know that their parent is going to read them a book before going to bed and they know how the story goes, so they can relax and fall asleep.

Does your child do any of these things? How do you react? Does your kid do anything else that you find weird? Please share your experience in the comments!