Frustrated/mad toddler behavior?

[nfowife]

When my DD gets frustrated/mad, or when she is getting tired, she will often hit herself in the head or pull her own hair. She used to claw at her face but she doesn't do that much anymore. She doesn't seem to be actually hurting herself, but it's like she gets so worked up she doesn't know what to do with herself. It only lasts a few seconds, and then she either moves to a full tantrum, moves into "soothe myself" mode and sticks her finger in her mouth, or snaps out of it. She is interAny thoughts?

[NatalieM]

My DD started this a few months ago. I always put her hair up in a little ponytail so it's out of her eyes. When she would get upset for whatever reason, she would start to pull her ponytail out and pull her hair as well. It was very disturbing to me, but I noticed when I just ignored her when she did it she would stop. When it first started, I would tell her not to do that, it hurts. Then she started to test me and she'd go STRAIGHT to the ponytail for any little reason to pull it out. A few times it seemed like she'd pull at her hair to get herself worked up even more. I started reading online about it and what I found just scared me. I told DH that from that point on if she did that, to ignore her and she hasn't done it since (about a month now).

Our DD's are close in age so I'm thinking it's probably just a phase and I wouldn't worry too much about it. DD doesn't throw tantrums very often, but when she does they are doozies! What she does now is stick her fingers in her mouth while crying and she gags. That just freaked me out, but again if I ignore it she stops. I hope this phase passes quickly. HTH!