Hair twiddling - my son getting bald patches - HELP!

[fionapenelope]

My 3 year old has always sucked his thumb and twiddled his hair (and anybody elses he can get hold of). Problem is that he regularly twiddles out bald patches! We've had to keep his hair really short but he HATES the hairdresser, it's the only time he has a tantrum. He's a happy, easygoing, secure child...anybody know why he does it? I've regularly gone out with dreadlocks and not realised and at playgroup he sits twiddling other children's hair when he can get close enough - they all pile out at home time and it's pretty obvious who my little angel has been sat next to! The hair does seem to grow back but am worried it won't one day. Anybody got any advice or ideas?

take a look at this thread .

All my experiences are detailed there.

I would buy yourself a pair of clippers to keep it short at home, and think about giving him something else to occupy his hands maybe...

ha ha, did exactly that, bought clippers. Felt really bad sitting on him cutting his hair, he went nuts!!!! Tried to bribe him with an easter egg but ended up with chocolate and dribble mixed with hair all over him, got really upset over easter egg then and threw up!!!! Desptite trauma, he now has a patchy no.2 crew cut, and is unable to twiddle anymore. I however, have regular dreadlocks on my head now! Am hoping if I keep it short until hair grows back, then he'll have forgotten about twiddling???!!! I must say he has been getting some kind looks in Sainsbury's....I think they think he's been in chemo or something. Feel like bad mother, but clippers neccessary I feel. All in all, much less traumatic than going to the hairdressers with him!!! Thanks for advice.

No probs. I wish we had gone for clippers sooner personally. We really did get strange looks. Twin girls, one with a No 2 cut, the other with shoulder length curls...it worked for us, and if it doesn't it will always grow back...