Frustration

The other day I picked Caitlyn up from daycare.  One of her teachers asks me if when Caitlyn is upset or frustrated at home if she head butts.  Um yeah.  She's been doing this for awhile.  I talked to her pediatrician about this at her 18 month appointment.  She assured me that this is normal toddler behavior.  That because she can't communicate with words she finds other ways to show she's upset or frustrated.  When we went to Waterloo for Aunt Beth's baby shower with Uncle Josh's family she had one of these episodes.  She got upset with me for telling her no (I don't even remember for what) and she hit her head on the HARDWOOD FLOOR!  In front of all of these people that I don't even know.  Hard enough that she had an immediate goose egg on her forehead.  I was so embarrassed.  Miss A (Caitlyn's teacher) said she had never seen this before.  She's seen kids hit other kids, teachers & parents.  But never the head butting.  Great...thanks.  The thing is...I understand the wanting to get the frustration out and not necessarily knowing how.  And I can use words.  But having the use of words doesn't always help either.  It's just how Caitlyn copes at the moment.  And we have to help her learn new less violent ways to vent that frustration.