The boy keeps hitting his head. Sometimes he cries, but sometimes it wakes up the whole neighborhood with that awful crunch yet he just keeps on cruising along. “Nothing to see here,” he seems to be stating with his I’m invincible attitude.

Of course, the horrors involved with watching your headbanging toddler self destruct can be enough to make you want to dial up a psychiatrist and start the treatment. But most repeat parents have gotten used to the bumps that come with newly mobile children. There’s a few things to keep in mind when determining the severity of a head injury.

• He’s knocked out cold – Obviously, this is cause for concern. If when the kid wakes up and they’re responding to speech or touch, you probably don’t need to dial 911. If the kid doesn’t wake up, then dial 911. Either way, a fast trip for medical attention is important.
• Vomiting – pretty much all head injuries, no matter the age, will exhibit vomiting as a sign of concussion.
• Bleeding – If there’s blood coming from orifaces, then it’s time to freak out. If there’s bleeding from the cut and you think stictches are necessary, then get thee to the hospital.
• Pupils different sizes – If your kid looks like Wile e Coyote with those circles and stars, not to mention two eyes that don’t match, then that kid needs help.
• Confusion – This is the toughest to gauge (they’re always fairly confused in this world), but try feeding or giving the baby water and see how they respond to their normal routine. Give the kid a favorite toy and see if there’s a change in behavior.

To be on the safe side, anything that you see that is different following a headbanging episode should warrant medical attention.