Toddler won't stop rubbing/playing with her tummy button!! What do I do?

[Everhart]

She's been doing it about a week, a lot of the time - pulls up her top and vest and rubs her tummy button. Does it when watching TV, when reading stories, just sort of idly a lot of the time...

It's obviously a little comfort habit and when I gently suggested a couple of times that she stop, she got self-conscious and upset, so I backed off.

But I'm starting to worry a bit about it getting sore, and (extrapolating wildly into the future) that it will become a hard habit to break. It looks so odd but obviously she's not at an age where she cares what things look like.

I could try putting her in popper-style vests a bit I guess, so she just has less obvious access to her tummy button, see if that breaks the habit...

Or should I not be too worried and she'll stop eventually?

Is this a common thing btw...?

[alittleegglayonaleaf]

I think it must be common because my daughter (23 months) does it constantly! She also gets very upset if I try to stop her

[Everhart]

thanks alittleegg!
Glad it's not just here... :)
She's long been v into tummy buttons, wants to see mine and DH's etc, but this fondling phase is new!
Think I'll try putting a poppers-vest onto her while it's still chilly enough to warrant one and hopefully that might break the obsession in a kind way.
She's the sort of personality that the more I mention it, the more she'll do it anyway, so I need to find a way for her to break the habit 'herself' I think!

[ChazzerChaser]

I don't understand the worry. She's investigating her body. Why do you think it will become a habit rather than it just being something that interests her at the moment?

[Everhart]

Chazzer, an entirely fair point!
Because I'm a bit neurotic, is the real answer... :)
It's that it's getting sore that I was a bit concerned about, I suppose.

[kimistayingalive]

Seems a bit like an equivalent of picking the nose or scratching an itch.
Most of the time its just done and you catch them doing it and they are shocked.
You could try explaining that you don't think its good to do it because it might make it sore and it wouldn't be nice (if you think she would understand and not get upset).
Just prompt her with "hands" to help her notice that she's doing it or if you're sat with her, take her hands in yours when you notice it.

Putting her in onesie style stuff short term may help but may not stop it once she's back out.

[ChazzerChaser]

Everhart - we all have our foibles! I really wouldn't worry.

[SantiagoSky]

my DS did that too! he is now three and is doing it much less often.

[Liara]

Ds 2 used to do this all the time when he was a toddler.

Stopped in his own time, never does it now (almost 5). Don't know how long he did it for as it never worried me, I actually found it funny.

He never seemed to do any damage to it.

[TheDuckSaysMoo]

Dd (3) playing with / pulling at her tummy button. She calls it her dubby. It is a real comfort object for her amd best seeved with warm milk. A onsie just frustrates her and ends up with her stripping off. It's quite sweet really.

[alittleegglayonaleaf]

Theducksaysmoo - yes the onesie frustration! the poppers can't get ripped open fast enough so she can access it