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General health

Tickling baby's feet......

38 replies

newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:25

Don't really know where to post this, so i'll try here....

My sister was tickling ds's feet on Sunday (who is 11 weeks old), and my nan told her off, and said you're not supposed to tickle baby's feet as it can make them stutter later on in life. What's that all about??

Was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of this before?

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SleepySuzy · 12/09/2005 21:26

how ridiculous!!!!

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Nik72 · 12/09/2005 21:27

Nope. sounds like a load of old cobblers to me!! Tickle away, I say.

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newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:28

Thats what i thought!! But then someone else said they'd heard you weren't supposed to tickle baby's feet, but they couldn't remember why. So it got me thinking

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Twiglett · 12/09/2005 21:29

if the wind changes your face'll stick

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Nik72 · 12/09/2005 21:31

Eating crusts makes your hair curly

Drinking beer puts hairs on your chest

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newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:32

OK OK, so i'm naive!

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Nik72 · 12/09/2005 21:34

Not at all! Having a baby is hard enoug without dealing with endless advice and old wives tales thrown at you by aged relatives ! Not to mention gratuitous comments by total strangers in the street followed by slighlty inebriated mumsnetters!!!

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Twiglett · 12/09/2005 21:35

actually you probably shouldn't do it for long periods of time because babies don't have the communication ability to get you to stop and sometimes being tickled can be uncomfortable despite the involuntary laughter .. you would be able to tell from their eyes though

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starshaker · 12/09/2005 21:37

i heard it makes them nervous i also heard if poking ur tummy while pg does the same

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newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:41

He seems to like it, and gives lots of smiles, but then he's a happy little chappy anyway. Twiglett, i know what you mean, i'm surprised i've not hit someone by now! Especially the grannies, who think that you should NEVER pick a baby up as it will spoil him, should keep his thermals on in the middle of summer, and should ALWAYS make them sleep on their front because if they're sick they won't swallow it!! Argghhh!! Rant over now!

Thanks for you help!

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newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:41

Sorry, mean Nik72.

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steffee · 12/09/2005 21:46

I heard that you're not supposed to tickle babies feet, but not for that reason - something to do with their reaction pulling a cord in their spine or similar rubbish lol, never known any harm to come to a baby (or anyone) from having their feet tickled though!

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Nik72 · 12/09/2005 21:54

No-one tells you before you have a baby about the fixed grin you have to adopt when faced with all this "advice", Newmumhelp!

My worst one was when MIL stayed when dd was 3 weeks old and said to her "ooh your mummy's not making you enough milk, is she?" Grrrrrr!

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newmumhelp · 12/09/2005 21:59

Oh yeah, get those comments all the time. Ds always has his hands in his mouth, so everyone tells me its because he's hungry or on the wrong milk. If i fed him everytime he had his hand in his mouth, he'd be a right porker!! Bless him!

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magnolia1 · 13/09/2005 16:32

My nan always used to say it too. I listened when I had dd1 but with the other 3 realised what a load of cobblers it is

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starlover · 13/09/2005 16:38

agree with twiglett... how many people LIKE hving their feet tickled? we all laugh because it's an involuntary reaction... but we can get the tickler to stop

tickling babies is akin to torture (a strong word, but can't think of another)... because it can be really, really horrible... and they can't stop you!

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whimsy · 13/09/2005 16:42

I've heard this before too, and I must admit I hate having my feet tickled.
Can't see how it could make them stutter in later life though.

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aloha · 13/09/2005 16:58

My baby loves being tickled! She laughs after it stops and giggles with joy if she sees me about to do it. I think it's different for babies.

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Nik72 · 13/09/2005 17:00

Ditto, aloha my dd loves tickling games - i'd hate to think I'm inadvertantly torturing her.....

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hunkermunker · 13/09/2005 17:01

I love having my feet tickled.

I always used to make sure that I didn't touch DS in a tickly way when he was really tiny and couldn't tell me it had caused a horrible tickle though - you know, like when you run your tongue lightly on your lip and it is unbearable (or is that just me?!).

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Kelly1978 · 13/09/2005 17:06

My MIL used to tell me nt to tickle dd's feet or it would send her mad. She was full of strange ideas like that.
I think they enjoy it, if mine aren't in the mood to be tickled they squirm and cry.

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aloha · 13/09/2005 23:31

Ds, nearly 4, asks to be tickled. I nibble him and he shrieks.

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Skribble · 13/09/2005 23:35

Oh hold kids upside down either they'll get water on the brain??????

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myturn · 13/09/2005 23:36

I HATE being tickled. Can't imagine how a tiny baby must feel, who can't tell you how it hates it.

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aloha · 13/09/2005 23:39

Some evidence that tickling is actually a normal and healthy part of parent/baby bonding - they laugh, so you laugh, which makes them laugh and so on. You can tickle rats and they laugh too. You can certainly tell that my baby likes being tickled and has done so since a few months old. I really do think it is different for kids, otherwise ds wouldn't specifically ask to be tickled. And I say this as someone who also hates being tickled. Maybe you grow out of it or something?

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