Are we raising a sociopath?

[homemongo]

I've never noticed it before but our son (10 months actual, 8 months adjusted (preemie)) is at that stage where he's starting to crawl and pull himself up and climb all over mommy and daddy.

He's not all that graceful and every once in while he manages to clonk one of us in a perfect head butt. Now he's managing to hurt my wife to the point where it brings tears to her eyes but while she's crying he's chortling with glee! She says that babies usually cry if you're crying. (He definitely laughs when you laugh at him).

I don't know any of this since I'm getting the crash course (it's all good since Henry doesn't know what I'm screwing up either)

Thanks for any info you have.

[tt3]

He's impressed with himself for getting a reaction. Both Leah and Tara would bite my wife hard while nursing and then chuckle... Until they figured out that stops the food contact for a while.
I wouldn't sweat it!

[Indy]

I think it's normal. He's not aware that he's causing pain, he's just aware that he's interacting. At that age, babies don't associate other people crying with pain, or tie any other emotions to anything specific. Those babies that cry when others cry are probably the ones that are easily startled and their crying is because they're uncomfortable, rather than empathy.

Rachel has bit us, pinched us, slapped us, and bonked us in the head--and more often than not, she's laughed about it. In the next motion, she'll try to feed us from her cup or cover us with a blanket, and laughed about that too. She's laughing because she's interacting--playing--and getting a reaction. She not going for a specific reaction, she's just exploring a new world and looking for any reaction.

Now if your kid were Stewie from Family Guy, I'd be concerned.

[Sonnie Bee]

Reactive Acceptance Disorder. it's common in, well, everybody!

okay, i made it up... there is no RAD. but what i believe your seeing is what tt3 mentioned, excited that there is a reaction. it's doubtful that there is actual joy from seeing someone else hurt, but more joy in the "i did this and you did that" reaction.

it is totally normal.

however, if at 19 years old, if your child is still bonking his mom in the head and giggling, then there may be call for concern.

[mrandjr]

Don't sweat it. It is normal. Our little one had me seeing stars a couple of times.