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Original poster

To ask about your experience with children and tics?

99 replies

Lalala89 · 05/06/2019 02:28

Typical jumping to conclusions mum here but I would just like to ask about your experiences with the above.

My 7 year old ds - sweetest most loving boy who is very sporty has all of a sudden over the last couple of weeks started opening his mouth very wide and then shutting it quickly. I didn't think much of it until my brother- who lives with me asked why he does it.

After that I started to look out for it. I noticed he did it 3/4 times an hour (could of been a couple more as I wasn't staring at him.) When asked about it, it was like he didn't even realize he was doing it.

Of course I did the stupid thing of googling it and it was article after article about tourettes/tics starting at age 6/7 which he is. It mentioned in the article about it starting with face tics that eventually develop into more. I now remember a couple of years ago he used to blink alot for a couple of months ago that I thought he needed glasses but then it stopped and I hadn't thought if it since.

I realize I am probably over worrying and there are far worse things going on. I've just had a tough life and I finally feel like for the first time in my life I'm in a good place and always feel like I'm expecting something bad to happen so am probably over worrying.

I love my son more than anything - do you have any experiences you can share with me?

Thank you in advance

OP posts:
AudacityOfHope · 12/12/2019 13:49

I don't really get into it with anyone else to be honest. It's nobody else's business - apart from, say, a childminder or teacher who has concerns and/or advice.

We just try not to mention it much at all, and tbh for the most part I tune it all out. I only say something if a noise is getting out of hand or if it involves swear words, for example.

Generally it doesn't bother me much, and I try to keep it that was so that it doesn't affect her either. It's definitely worse when she is worrying about something.

Furiousfive · 12/12/2019 14:12

My DS who's also 7 has had a range of tics since about 3 years old. One will come for a few months and then just disappear and will soon be replaced with another. The current one is wide mouth opening just like your son. It can be so difficult not to say anything.

We're currently awaiting the first referral appointment for possible ADHD/ASD and the tics could well be linked, but then again my friend's daughter had a very noticeable tic which disappeared after some months and never came back.

lalalalala123456 · 12/12/2019 14:14

My sister had a tic when she was this age and it went away around a year later, her tic was sniffing very loudly, and twitching her neck

taykitty20 · 12/12/2019 16:55

I need to harness that attitude audacity xx so much healthier for everyone

AudacityOfHope · 12/12/2019 19:29

Genuinely, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme. Of all the things that could be wrong, I'm glad it's something that's an annoyance rather than anything worse.

taykitty20 · 12/12/2019 22:08

Really hope those waiting for an appointment get one soon xx Shame on that Santa :(

NamechangeProtectIdentity · 12/12/2019 22:41

Mine did at 6, and like you, I googled it. Terrified myself. Went to the docs, who said this is very common and he'd likely grow out of them. He did within a year. We didn't mention or tease him.

Indie139 · 13/12/2019 21:41

My 9 yr old has a vocal tic. It comes and goes though..for the past few weeks shes done it constantly but since yesterday shes barely done it. Her one is throat clearing. Drives me mad at first..took her to the doctor but she didnt seem worried. Its been a good 2 years at least since it first began

AudacityOfHope · 13/12/2019 21:45

The throat clearing is dramatic isn't it?? My daughter does it really loudly and extravagantly!

BuntyBonus · 13/12/2019 22:21

I’ve not read the full thread so this may have been mentioned. Look up magnesium supplements for children. They really helped my 6 year old son for his tics.

Notcool1984 · 13/12/2019 23:26

My daughter had a lot she 5, full body jerking and a similar sounding mouth thing to your son. I asked for advice on here and people said to ignore it, I also feared the worst, but hers went away after a couple of months. In hindsight we were moving house and I think she was really anxious but couldn’t express it. Tics went away when she felt more settled x

Notcool1984 · 13/12/2019 23:26

*when she was 5 (she is 7 now)

taykitty20 · 14/12/2019 12:31

It’s been like 8 months here, I really hope it’ll just up and go 😶

Grobagsforever · 14/12/2019 12:37

My DD had really bad tics last summer (age 7). They largely disappeared after a few months, although one does still pop up a couple of times a week. (Face scrunching). We do relaxation exercises to de stress her when that happens.

At its worst she was tic-ing CONSTANTLY, for her, like most others, it's stress related rather than anybody worse.

PhantomErik · 14/12/2019 12:42

My ds goes through phases of doing things like this. Opening his eyes over wide, mouth closed blowing his cheeks out, blowing air out of his nose etc.

They often last a few weeks then fade away.

He's not got any at the moment but has had them on & off for 2 - 3 years (he's now 9).

My nephew had the same but more so & they disappeared on their own. He's 19 now & hasn't had any since about 15.

dreichXmas · 14/12/2019 12:53

My ds (11) has verbal tics that come and go, I think stress is a definite factor.
Some of them are irritating, the last one I caught myself doing after a while.
I don't mention them, DH does sometimes but he really can't control them.

But they don't impact his life, his peers don't seem to particularly notice or care and they usually fade away after a while.

I am hoping he will grow out of them altogether but it will be okay if he doesn't.

taykitty20 · 15/12/2019 19:20

I guess while I know that there are worse things, I worry about my daughter socially and, if there's no improvement, later on as an adult. It seems like something that, while there are lots of things to try in terms of help, there's no one thing that has been known to help for everyone. I notice that when she's doing it less I'm so much calmer and happier in myself and when there's an...uptick in tics lol...I'm edgy. I know that needs to stop but I find it hard. Anyone else found anything that works? I've not had much luck with magnesium.

AudacityOfHope · 16/12/2019 08:20

I've never tried anything; I honestly don't see it affecting her that much. Her friends barely notice, other than sometimes to say she's being noisy if she gets carried away. But, I mean, she's currently in a panotmime so she's on stage a lot. And she does tic a little, but probably only I notice, and if other people notice, fine, and if other people notice and judge, then fuck them!

You need to model that it's ok to her, and reinforce that everyone has some shit they deal with, it's just that sometimes her comes out. No big drama.

taykitty20 · 16/12/2019 15:44

You’re so right Flowers

taykitty20 · 27/12/2019 12:42

When they go away and come back....I could cry Sad

chocolateisavegetable · 27/12/2019 21:55

Have a look at PANS / PANDAS in case other symptoms sound familiar

Skyrain · 27/12/2019 22:09

I haven’t read all the other responses but just wanted to add my reassurance. My DS started ticking just before he started school - he also opened his mouth wide. I was also very concerned about this and took him to the GP who just said not to draw attention to it or worry too much. I told his teacher who was in the last few years of teaching due to her age. She said that if she had a payment each of the kids who had ticked in her classes over the years she would have retired by now. His tics came and went over a period of years and did change - he had one where he cleared his throat loudly and often which was hard to ignore. They also reappeared when he was tired, run down or anxious. Like your son he was a sporty boy and constantly active. He is now 19 and away at uni and loving life and is tic free. I don’t think I have seen his tics for a number of years.

It is horrible when you are living through it but remember it is likely to go over time. I was always surprised that so few other people noticed as it was so obvious to us but it makes you realise how insignificant it it to other people.

taykitty20 · 30/12/2019 15:36

Thanks Sky; I do hope this will all become a thing of the past! Did yours have vocal tics too? Those are the one that get me

taykitty20 · 06/01/2020 10:29

Audacity-wondering how your appt went, if you feel like saying? X

notfromstepford · 07/01/2020 08:58

I,m so glad I found this thread. My DS is 7 and has a few things that I thought were habit - but reading through this, it looks like it could be tics. He used to have a really bad stammer when tired, upset or anxious but this has all but gone now but the tics (if that's what they are) are more prominent. One thing he does do is shout out or laugh really loud for no reason at all. Am I right to assume these are vocal tics? A few times I've told him to stop and not do it - it makes us all jump, but after reading this thread it seems best to just ignore it.