My 2 Year Old Son Is Obsessed with My Hair!

Updated on August 21, 2011
L.B. asks from Turner, ME
5 answers

My son is now 29 months and most nights, in order to go to sleep he needs to comb his fingers through my hair! We are expecting our 2nd child in the beginning of August and are also finding it difficult to keep him in his own bed. He will fall asleep in his own room if I am laying there. But when he awakes in the middle of the night he will cry until I come in. He then will comb his fingers through my hair and go back to sleep. But this can happen every hour on the hour! So I typically cave in and he makes his way into our bed every night. I have purchased a doll with hair hoping that he would use that instead of me to soothe himself. It didn't work.
Another issue I have is if I wear my hair up then he throws a temper tantrum until I take it down. When I wear it down he gets excited and proclaims, "Mama wears her her down!." Even when he sits next to me, no matter what we are doing, he has to hold my hair. I know this sounds weird but until he gets over his obsession with my hair I don't think he will begin to sleep in his own bed.
Has anyone else had any issues like thie one?

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P.W.

answers from Boston on

I have the same problem with my 2 year old daughter(Elise). She usually would go to bed though. Recently she has started the same thing,but I end up on the couch with her for most of the nights. We have a older son who has been tired in school a few times,so we have been getting heat from the school about it. She wakes him up a few times a night and I have to go get her and bring her downstairs to lay with me. We have a routine at bedtime with a story,then lights out while I sing to her and she plays with my hair. That was working until she started wanting me to sing over and over,then she started wanting a drink or anything to stall me. I kept giving in because eventually she would stay in bed and let me leave without waking her brother. Two nights ago I layed down the law. I told her one song,one sip of water,and then she was going in to bed. I would not take her out no matter what. She cried and I went up and told her again,made sure she was ok,and left again. That went on almost all night on and off. Last night I did the same thing,but she actually stayed and didn't cry,and didn't wake up and cry as usual. I praised her this morning,and made a big deal out of it...letting her have a special breakfast. We all kept telling her how nice it was to have gotten a good night sleep because she was such a big girl. Now she is a crafty one and very stubborn,so I don't know what will happen tonight,but maybe some of this will help you. I know how you feel,and sometimes want to chop all my hair off! I seem to have to physically remove her from me every time I need to do something and it's getting crazy!I've missed phonecalls,had the dog have an accident on the carpet,and even had her try to stop me from going to the bathroom because she wouldn't get off of me! I will keep you posted if I have any more progress with her and good luck!

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M.U.

answers from Boston on

my daughter is 2 /12 and i have the same problem with her, it started off as just playing with my hair to go too sleep, it has now become that much of an obssession that she constantly with her hands in my hair, puling at my hair, just holding it, she even eats it. If i don't let her she crys please mummy please and is so devestated i don't let her.

Ive tried doing everything too deter her but nothing works, not dolls hair or her own, i'm at my wits end as my hair is always messy and it drives me crazy. So we seem too be in the same predicament. At least your not the only one out there..

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K.W.

answers from Boston on

Hi L.,

I have a similar problem, my son who is 2 1/2 HATES it when I wear my hair down. He will cry and cry until I put it up. If I am readjustiing my hair for the split second it is down he will yell "Put your back up!" I don't know where this came from or how it started. For the comformt, my son finds comfort in putting his hand on my chest, on top of my shirt. I think this is because I breastfed him until he was about 1 1/2. If he is not able to touch my chest, he will not sleep. I think this could lead to a bigger problem, when I started him in daycare the teacher told me that when it was nap time he asked to put his hand on her chest, luckily she wasn't worried about it and let him do that. I don't want him to go to regular school and when it comest to nap time have to touch a womans chest.

If I find out a solution to either problem, you will be the first to know. I wonder if anyone else has had similar issues, and how they solved them.

Good luck L..

K.

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K.I.

answers from Lewiston on

Hello,
I have 2 children 1 of which was soothed a little by hair but my sister had 2 boys who had to have hair to fall asleep or even to be comforted when they were upset.. Almost like a blankie.. Her youngest is now almost 2 and has a head full of it(they both did at that age) and she got them into running there fingers through their own hair. It has worked for her. Not sure about your circumstances. My daughter didnt have hair till she was almost 3.. Good luck and best wishes.

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M.B.

answers from Lewiston on

hmmm I have only heard of kids having this issue if they have other underlying problems. I don't know what to tell you except cut it off... lol... as odd as that sounds, if it's not there he will be forced to get used to it. It will grow back, just get like a shoulder length cut or something. Might work who knows.

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