6 Months Who Shakes His Head "No"

My son did the same thing at that age. It lasted several months. I wouldn't worry about it. I was afraid that he would be saying no all the time as he grew a little older but luckily (and knock on wood) he favors the word "ya" mor than no. I think it was just that he was discovering something about his body that he can control and liked it.

My sister's daughter started doing the same thing when she was about that age. She also had other symptoms such as always seeming to "look" and hold her head in one direction (right, I think) and her eyes sort of "rolling" sideways into her head. They took her for literally every test imaginable and found NOTHING wrong with her. She is now 4 and has had issues as she has grown with balance and speech. My sister has her in speech therapy and dance classes to help with these now and she is improving. I'm not sure if any of this is helpful but thought I would share anyway.

If he's doing it in his sleep, I agree that you might want to check his ears/hearing.
I read that rocking/shaking themselves can be soothing..if he isn't being held, or wants comfort. Tommy would "head bang" on/under his pillow at bed time, and said he was ok. That started older than 6 months, but it could be similar...

As long as Dr. says all is well on well-baby checks, all is well. Sometimes, we do things unconsciously. Try to childproof the house so that the word is not reinforced many times daily. I don't think you should worry- just try to stop using 'no' so much. Hope it helps, S.

it can be normal...but it can also mean that his ears arer irritated... he may be teething... you should call your pede. dr.

Totally normal. Don't worry! Babies this age are very observant and learn by replicating what they see. You (or another family member) may have shaken your head "no" one time without noticing it and he picked up on it. He's just learning and once he tires of this new skill, he'll taper it down. Just wait until he starts saying "no". It's all you'll hear all day long for weeks! ;) If it really bothers you, try teaching him a different skill so he can focus on something else like clicking his tongue or raising his eyebrows. Babies are fascinated by that kind of stuff.

Call your pediatrian and tell him/her what is going on. I'm sure they'll want to see him.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Hi local parent educator here,

There are two reasons something like this maybe happening. The shaking of the head can indeed be a new trick. The only thing that makes me think it is not a new trick is the fact that he is doing this in his sleep. When children learn a new trick they will rehearse what they have learned during the day each night before going to bed, they will not typically do the same activity in their sleep. Some do, most do not.

The other scenario is that he may be telling you that his ears are bothering him or his neck is out of whack. Has he fallen or bumped his head recently?

So you don't have to worry about this, and can see it clearly for what ever it is, I would suggest a trip to the Dr. And if your pediatrician says it isn't his ears and not to worry about it, but yet you still feel in your guts that something is amiss then I would HIGHLY recommend seeing an osteopath. The best resource I have in Tucson is Teresa Cisler.
If you can't find her number then email me at: ____@____.com

It is totally normal. He just found a new thing his body can do, and is fascinated by it. When he finds a new cool thing his body can do, he will move on, but for now he is just too impressed with him self to stop. And you should be too. Don't worry, try showing him clapping and patty cake, and each time he finds a new talent, enjoy it with him. :-) .

Has your son had any ear infections lately?