DD started sniffing her hands?!

[rainingsomemore]

Dd has, over the past week started sniffing her hands randomly throughout the day. She did this a few years ago for a while but then just stopped at some point. Does anyone know what this is? She's 6.

Could she have worms and she's scratching her bum and then smells her hands to check if they smell?

Could it be a tic or a compulsion? Does she have any other habits?

I don't know about her having worms I will look at that thanks. No she doesn't have any other compulsions.

My 4 year old did this when she had worms

The obvious question is .. have you asked her?

My guess would be she's sticking her hands down her pants and then smelling them. That's the most obvious thing

Have you got a soap that she likes the smell of? I do this occasionally when I've used a different soap because it smells particularly nice.

My DD - similar age - does this when she’s used the “posh” hand soap, or pinched some of my hand cream!

My cousin does this and always has. She's 56 years old. I think it's an unconscious nervous habit. Years ago, a relative mentioned it to her and she was baffled because she didn't even realize she was doing it.

My ds does this all the time. Also 6.
He also puts food right up to his nose to smell.
He is very sensory though and likes different textures. He used to have a throat clearing habit which we distracted him out of and has now started a kind of tic with his neck and head...

Interestingly when he was bf as a baby he used to stroke/pull his own hair while feeding. Over lockdown he has also started stroking/twirling a tuft of hair again. Im guessing its like a comfort thing.

Im hoping when things go back to something like normal and we can do more than just go for a walk it might all calm down.

It’s a question of whether it’s conscious or unconscious. If it’s unconscious it sounds like a tic.