3.5yo dd and her quest for self gratification!

[ShelaghTurner]

Crap title I know but was trying to avoid a dodgy title. And I know we've done this before, sorry.

So 3.5yo dd2 has taken to lying flat out on the floor and squeezing her thighs together. Fine ok. That's normal. Not worried about that. She's been doing it for about a year and is showing no signs of growing out of it. The problem is that she's starting to do it in other places such as music group, art sessions, anywhere there is enough space she drops to the floor and off she goes. To make it worse, the grunting leaves no doubt as to what she is doing.

I've tried the bedrooms and bathrooms talk, tried to get her to go elsewhere and do it. Obviously don't want to tell her outright to stop but it would be nice if she didn't do it in front of everyone else! She just gets grumpy if I try to talk to her about it at all.

So any clues on the best way to handle please. DD1 didn't do this at all and I'm a bit stumped. I don't want to make it forbidden just discourage her from having an audience!

[gamerchick]

Instant distraction when she starts. It's the only way I know that works until they get on the beam.

[ShelaghTurner]

Thanks. Yes do try to distract but the minute she's unoccupied she does it again. She's determined!

[gamerchick]

Have you done all the usual checks that she's not irritated in some way, no soreness/worms etc that will make her think of her area more?

Persistence... A few prods of the tickle area of the ribs each time she does it might help eventually.

[theconstantvacuumer]

We are currently going through this with DD(4), she is using her soft toys to pleasure herself. At the moment it seems to be confined to her room but even so the attendant huffing and puffing is quite disconcerting. I haven't said anything to her, she always looks guilty when I catch her at it!