Each child handles stress differently. Certain behaviors that help children deal with stress include thumb sucking, nail biting, and, sometimes, head banging.

Thumb sucking (or sucking a pacifier) is a normal part of early childhood, and most children stop by the time they are 1 or 2 years old, but some continue into their school-age years. Occasional thumb sucking is normal at times of stress, but habitual sucking past the age of about 5 can alter the shape of the roof of the mouth, cause misalignment of teeth, and lead to teasing from other children. Occasionally, persistent thumb sucking can be the sign of an underlying emotional disorder.

All children eventually stop thumb sucking. Parents should intervene only if their child's dentist advises them to or if they feel their child's thumb sucking is socially unhealthy. Parents need to gently encourage the child to understand why it would be good to stop. Once the child signals a willingness to stop, gentle verbal reminders are a good start. These can be followed by symbolic rewards put directly on the thumb, such as a colored bandage, fingernail polish, or a star drawn with a nontoxic colored marker. Additional measures, such as a plastic guard over the thumb, overnight elbow splinting to prevent a child from bending it, or painting the thumbnail with a bitter substance can be used. However, none of these measures should be used against the child's will.

Nail biting is a common problem among young children. The habit usually disappears as the child gets older but is typically related to stress and anxiety. Children who are motivated to stop can be taught to substitute other habits (for example, twirling a pencil). A reward system in which the child keeps more rewards for avoiding the behavior reinforces desirable behavior. For instance, the child is given 10 pennies in the morning, and in the evening must return 1 penny for each nail that is bitten over the course of the day.

Head banging and rhythmic rocking are common among healthy toddlers. Although alarming to parents, the children do not seem to be in distress and actually seem to derive comfort from the activity.

Children usually outgrow rocking, rolling, and head banging between 18 months and 2 years of age, but repetitive actions sometimes still occur in older children and adolescents.

Children with autism and certain other developmental problems also may bang their head. However, these children have additional symptoms that make their diagnosis apparent.

Although children almost never damage themselves by these behaviors, this possibility (and the noise) can be reduced by pulling the crib away from the wall, taking off the wheels or placing carpet protectors under them, and applying a padded crib bumper to the inside of the crib.