advice please - 8yr old SD won't stop *fiddling* with herself

[mrshibbins]

and since the school holidays have begun she seems to be at it ALL THE TIME. Every time I walk into the living room, there she is, lying on her tummy in front of the TV, humping her hands ... and she also keeps straddling her Dad's leg and doing it there as well - the poor man can't cope with it.

I've sat her down and had talks with her about it, and told her that it's okay to do it, but that it's a very private thing and something but she must do it in the privacy of her own room, and certainly not around the house, in front of others, and most certainly not against her Dad's knee! But she just denies doing it, and then keeps on doing it ...

She's 8, but very babyish ...

any advice please?

My dd 'dscovered' herself aged 16 mths and got herself so excited she was heavy breathing in the living room so I used to try and divert her attention. By the time she was 2-3 she would be under the sofa obviously avoiding me (even though I didn't tell her off) I could tell by the heavy breathing what she was up to.

I figured this is normal behaviour, my eldest didn't do it and because my dd2 used to do it regularly when watching tv etc my youngest dd copied and so does not have much inhibition.

Now my dd2 is 9 and I never see her do it but my dd3 regularly does it still in front of tv but she stops only if I tell her to.

I think you'll find it's incredibly common and to think I didn't discover 'it' until my 20s!

They don't do 'it' in front of guests thank goodness.

I don't think you can do any more but her dad certainly can! Why doesn't he reprimand her and move his leg away so she can't do it? You would discourage a dog from that behaviour so there's no reason why he doesn't deal with it firmly and clearly himself.