Fiddling with fingers

[lovereallyhurts]

My 4-year-old DD is always picking at her nails, scratching her fingers, or biting them. She does it constantly but doesn't seem to realize she's doing it. It sounds silly but I almost wish she would just suck her thumb or twirl her hair or do something more usual - I've never come across this finger-fidgeting before. Has anyone else? Does it sound worrying to you?
Thanks.

There is a little girl in Kindergarten who does the same - she displays other behavioural habits too though and this I think is a worry. I have read about super sensory children who can become inexplicably over alert and demanding or extremely shy and overwhelmed... does any of this seem to fit in with your DD?

Sometimes it's just a tic that comes for a while and then fades... my son is jutting his lower jaw out fairly habitually at the moment, can't see a reason for it and hope if I manage to keep quiet about it, and how it bugs me, the habit will go as quietly as it came.

Thanks for responding wabbit. Can I ask what other behavioral habits the girl in your kindergarten has? And what are super sensory children? My DD is certainly demanding and alert, and also quite shy.

Is this finger-scratching stuff a tic, do you think? I always thought tics were when you did the same movement over and over again, whereas this varies more, sometimes one finger, sometimes the other, etc.

Anyone else? Not sure if this seems really trivial or actually scarily worrying...

Hi - I've seen this at school with little uns too. Usually a stress response or self conscious tic. Has anything changed at her nursery or pre school? can be the slightest thing... sorry not much use I know...

Hi, my dd is highly sensitive...there is a book on it that's pretty good. My dd has some funny habits too.

Super sensory is when one or more of the senses are overly developed, the sense of touch and hearing have been noted at work with two children.

It can cause some very disruptive and inexplicable behaviour patterns - a finikkyness that could drive you to distraction!!!

The child sensitive to touch will swat you away if you brush them with your hand by accident yet love a propper hug and demand firm positive touch. They can also become very particular about doing up clothing for themselves, about bed-clothes and bedding and will sometimes feel insecure in a bed on their own. I mention this because the little one I refered to earlier has these habits and her supersensitivity deprives her of sleep each night.

She is the little girl who is picketty picking with her fingers all the time too.

I guess I was using 'tic' to mean an often repeated unconscious physical habit - not involuntary!