Swinging Legs!

[PigeonPair]

I know this has been discussed on here before so I know I am not the only one with a daughter that likes to squirm around on chairs etc. for ...... how can I put it.....pleasure I suppose is the the best word. Every time I walk into a room it seems she is squirming around on her chair!. We call it "swinging her legs". I have spoken to her about it and she says she has to do it to get the "fizzy feeling" and if it doesn't work on one chair she has to move to another one or do it harder!! She is 4.5 but has been doing this on and off for about two years.

Honestly I am laughing as I am writing this but it is getting to the point where I think she is addicted and it is going to be a hard habit for her to break! It was also mentioned by her teacher at parents evening last week. The teacher said she had had a few girls over the years with the same habit and said she would make a point of saying that school is a time for sitting still at her desk so she can concentrate etc etc.

Before you think / say it, I'm not sexually repressed but to be honest I just find it embarrassing when she does it in front of other people. I would like to break the habit of doing it all the time but equally I don't want her to feel she is doing something to be ashamed of! Any advice or experience on how I can break this habit woud be much appreciated!

Oh dear no advice e really except she will grow out of it. Or more likely , do it in private. My DD used to lie on the floor and rub herself on the carpet. We called it wiggling. My sister found her DD having a 'wiggle' on a bed in a furniture shop!

Thanks for responding Doinmummy. How old was your daughter when she grew out of it? It doesn't bother me so much at home but when I heard she was doing it at school too I thought I'd come on here for some advice.

She was about 4 I think. I'm sure your Dd is not the first to have a wiggle at school. I can't help laughing though (in a nice way ) I was mortified when DD did it in front of visitors, it was so obvious what she was doing as she used to breathe faster and had a 'fixed' look on her face

She won't grow out of it by herself - you need to make it clear that it's something that's perfectly ok but that is private. She can do it when she's by herself in her bedroom, and that's the appropriate place. She doesn't do it anywhere else, and you can remind her that it's for her bedroom whenever you see her doing it. Most girls do it. DD (3) calls it fiddling her foof and knows that it's not for nursery or the dining room, kitchen or anywhere else.

Don't worry about repressing her, but you do need to instill that there are appropriate times and places.

Agree with Zuleika. I think the key thing here is to stress the "do it in private" aspect - i.e. it's fine, but not at school or anywhere else in front of people.

LOL at "fixed" look. That is exactly what DD has and she tunes me out when I ask her to stop like she's in a trance! It IS funny - I laugh at it too - but I just find it embarassing to think of her doing it at school and at parties in front of other mothers! At the moment I am trying to get her to stop it full stop (!) but I will try a new tack as you all suggest and tell her that she can "leg swing" to her hearts content provided she does it in her bedroom. I'll report back! Thanks for the advice!