Anyone else got a dd who... well, it's a little embarrassing

[Choccers]

She's 2, and for the last year she's got herself off to sleep at night by lying on her front and kind of humping her hand. She also does it if she's very tired or in some kind of physical pain. I don't think there's anything we can do about it - but it would be nice to know that she's not the only one!

I did also have a quick look through past discussions to see if this had come up and couldn't find anything, but it's obviously come up before so should have looked harder. Princess - don't know how to convince you - I do have a blog about being a mum (www.20six.co.uk/babymother) so if I am a 'troll' I've worked hard at pretending to be a mum for the last 2 years! But no hard feelings.

When I worked in a day nursery, there was a little girl there who must have been about 3 and she did used to rub herself on the edges of tables and chairs - we just used to distract her and try to engage her in something else if we saw her doing it.

From other posts it sounds like this isn't that unusual. I've only got boys so no experience of it myself.

so what exactly are you looking for from this thread choccers?

I think what I'm worried about is the embarrassment factor, for herself (tho also me) as she gets older and realises what she was doing in front of all those people (as this is sometimes a public thing, tho fortunately not usually). But I don't want her to feel told off, just discouraged from it in a good way...?

You dont need to worry about that. she's only 2!

just ignore it

You don't have to convince anyone choccers. There are plenty of threads that I find a little strange but instead of doubting the posters I just ignore them - it's a public forum fgs, people are going to talk about all sorts of stuff, most of the time it's a load of bollox anyway

With the behaviour, I'm not sure whether you're supposed to ignore it or try to prevent it - maybe someone with more experience will come along. If she's looking for comfort maybe you could try a fluffy blanket for her to touch, give her something else to do with her hands?

Oops answered your question before you asked it!! Maybe Glitterygook has already got the only solution, although distraction only works to a point. Anyway, the main thing is to know it's normal, and I am definitely reassured on that front.

dd2 is obsessed with her bits. she is 3. dd1 asked my dad to look at her thumb as she pulled it back to touch her wrist, dd2 misheard and said 'look at my bum' and flashed my dad!!

It's perfectly normal, they all do it. You just need to teach them that, while it isn't wrong or dirty (lest they get hang ups that stay with them for life), it is a private area of the body and should be something they don't do in public.

Shepherds - that does sound like a plausible line, I think she would understand it what I am asking her to do, although maybe not why. But parents are not necessarily meant to make sense I guess...

as i posted earlier, my friend is getting some sucess with telling her that it is a private thing you do on your own

x posts

I did once say we had to put some pants on before a friend came round because 'Katie doesn't want to see your bum.' She really went on about it for ages, that Katie would like to see her hands and not her bum, blah blah blah, so I could definitely explain we don't want to see that behaviour - just don't want to make her too ashamed. Which has already been said.

dd2 thinks everyone should see her bum. so that line doesnt work here. lol.

Thanks all for this - it has really helped! I'm off to bed, and now I know what a hive of activity Mumsnet is on a Sat night I'll be back, maybe with something less controversial! Goodnight and thanks again.

over the summer i caught dd2 standing at the window naked, not once, several times.

yes, one the neighbours says she wiggled her bum at her