"Bad" habits

[Poppysmama]

Hallo everyone
Yet again I return with "problems"!! I do visit occasionally without posting though!

Over the past months I have seen some interesting and concerning habits evolving in Poppy. I've mentioned before the teeth-grinding (which began even before she had top teeth!) and that continues.

Another fairly - I consider - serious one is the constant tugging downwards of her trousers/knickers/tights. To the point of exposure! In the main we can get away with it at this time of year as the tops are a bit longer as well as multi-layered, but I know that if this hasn't stopped by the summer we could be in for some real difficulties. As it is, her tops are always stuffed into the top of her bottoms (whatever that may be at the time), bunching up around her lower abdomen and making the issue worse.

I have no idea why (or really exactly when) this started, but I will admit to being a bit part of making it worse by discussing it in front of Poppy in her presence. You know: "She's constantly pulling at her trousers" - so it's become a belief-induced habit, if there is such a thing.

Her trousers or whatever are not too tight. I have tried pulling them further up and that makes no difference. She even pulls her pyjamas down in her sleep, she's that sensitive in the area now. There is no redness nor any other indication of discomfort. But literally every 30-60 seconds she's there pulling.

Lately she has also started constantly wiping at her nose. Now this could be quite valid as she has very fine hair (like mine) that is constantly wisping about her face and it's a cold time of year so there is most likely nose condensation going on as well. I am being super careful not to actually verbalise this one to her as I suspect that is how the other one started to become so problematic. (Although at the end of the day I think scratching your nose is somewhat more socially acceptable than pulling down the front of your trousers!)

When talking to others both homeopathy and kinesiology have been mentioned. I probably also need to mention that Poppy is totally and completely unable to ever ever ever sit still. She is constantly on the move, wriggling, writhing, pulling, twitching (oh, and TALKING - can you imagine the relief it is when this child finally goes to sleep at night???!!!).

It is driving me nuts. The very practical side (apart from the exposure aspect) of the trouser pulling is the absolute filthiness of her clothes by the end of a long day's constant tugging. She has also sometimes scratched her belly so I have to be really onto fingernail cutting. She only keeps her hands away when she's bare-bummed - and yet sometimes when we're home and she's been at it for too long and I suggest she takes her trousers off, she won't!

I don't know if I've got across just how constant this is! It sounds perhaps a little obsessive by me, but really you can't imagine how her hands are always there, pulling and tugging. She looks like she needs to do a wee all the time (and is asked as much by her teachers at pre-school).

What do you think?
Thanks - Vicki

PS - by the way, I know nothing about kinesiology and have no idea whether this would be worth investigating.

[theycallmemum]

Hi Vicki,

Have you consulted a doctor or Poppys health nurse about all this and if so what have they said? My daughter would rather be unclothed most of the time, but she certainly doesn't scratch at the clothing to get it off.

Why not just let her run around in the nude if you're at home but tell her she must be clothed when out. You may want to see if she may have an infection. Girls especially are prone to bladder infections, so try not to use any soap or bubble bath in her bath.

Talking, tell me about it. But I'd rather they talk than not. When I'm away at work I miss their chatter and talking.

The only other thing, if its not an infection or just a stage, is to put her in overalls, these may stop her from tugging at her clothes.

[emd]

Billy is only ten months old, but he does pull at his clothes in that area when he's got excema (that's where his outbreaks are). Does she get rashy around her tummy?

If it's not a skin irritation, it's probably just a phase. All kids have different little habits they go through, sometimes they are annoying to the adults who look after them... Jools loves to get her shoes off at any opportunity, especially in the car on the way to somewhere that requires shoes on. Sophia loved to take all her clothes off. Billy will no doubt be up to something as a two year old that causes all sorts of household fun. But you know what, now that Sophia is too old to run around nudie, I actually miss the little battles we had to get her to wear clothes... I hope that this phase passes soon for you, so that you too can miss it when it's gone

[Bronnie]

the teeth grinding and the nose wiping can be from food intolerances. my 4 yr old has ground her teeth as long as i can remember. not a habit as she's asleep when she does it. removed dairy, grinding reduced. remoed soy and she hasn't done it for a week or so (only removed it 3 weeks ago).

i used to be a nose wiper and constant fidgeter and now i'm not, cos we went failsafe www.fedup.com.au

[Dorasmum]

Surely your daughter is a clone of mine....!!! I have been thinking about posting a thread on the very topic of "undie yanking" in the last few days. My pre-schooler does the same thing, just pulls at her undies in the front and back trying to pull them down and readjust them constantly if they feel too tight. I've investigated and discovered recently that she won't wear her undies like the rest of us..you know pulled up to your crotch like they are supposed to be..likes them an inch or two away from herself and if they are not, will tug and pull until they are. Drives me NUTS and other people are always asking too if she needs to go to the loo. She thinks it's a wedgie. The only thing I can figure is somewhere along the line she got it into her head that a wedgie is to have your undies pulled all the way up and it's stuck and she feels very uncomfortable if they are.

There is another possible contributing factor though, and it's that she has had recurring mild bouts of thrush so it may mean she is extra sensitive. This one needs more investigation.

I'm currently trying some different types of undies, some "monky bar" undies from Big W, kind of like tighter boxer short style, but different feel to regular knicker style. I'm also trying to coax her into putting up with wearing her under clothes the way the rest of us do, hoping she would get used to it after a few days, with bribes of new dora or little pony undies, but the attention I''m paying it has made it worse.

Her uniform at school has a baggy skort which allows her undies to low ride without a problem but if i try and put some tights on for warmth the fidgeting starts up again and I don't want her to get noticed and possibly teased at schoool so I put baggy track pants on her instead if it's cold.

She doesn't quite pull them down too far, so it's a litte different to your poppy, but yes she does have to wear all pants very low with the undies which means all otherwise good length pants get the heels dragged in the dirt.

i'm guessing Poppy has more of a habit going on, for what ever reason. Not sure what else to suggest but I hear you with how annoying it is, you're not obbsessive at all!! I can totally relate.

The other thing my DD does that drives me bonkers is sniff. I can't teach her to blow her nose so if she has a sniffle it's SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF. aaarrrgghh.

Keep on plugging, sometimes these things do fade without any need for effort, that is what i'm hoping will happen. Sorry for being a bit long winded..

Em

[theycallmemum]

Thanks for that link Bronnie...I've see you post this elsewhere and I couldn't locate it.
A friend of mine gave me a card with all the preservative numbers to be aware of and I lost it!

Thanks again.