handling a sensitive issue

[goldpony]

My DD (2.8) has discovered that rubbing herself on her bedroom chair gives her a lovely feeling... We have tried to handle it as cooly and calmly as possible, and honestly don't want to make a big issue of it. We started out just trying to distract her out of it BUT over time it is getting to become a problem and its becoming an obsessional activity. I'm really beginning to react really badly and handle it all wrong.

Basically, if she does it once in the day, she wants to spend all day on/off the chair. She has recently started doing it in other places too, including in other people's houses. She has also worked out that it is even nicer if she takes off her clothes and does it naked. It is quite shocking to see your little child doing this and I want to protect her from other people's comments as well as my own bad reactions.

Please don't just laugh at this, I realise it may sound quite funny, but I really need some advice as I don't know how to stop her turning this pleasurable sensation into an obsession.

It is very very normal, especially around this age, so first of all don't worry!

The best advice is to ignore it totally, just use distraction if you think she's been at it enough for one day and plan lots of other things to keep her busy.

It is just a phase.

Yes, this is exactly how I started out. But its been going on for weeks/months now and it is extremely difficult to distract her from it. She physically won't get off the chair and any attempt to get her off it results in a major trantrum. After a while she is physically exhausted and I can get her redressed and on to other activities. but this can take quite a while.

I find myself on tenderhooks at grandparents or friends houses though. I honestly can't ignore it outside our house.

well for out and about you can explain (she'll understand at this age) that it's ok at home/in private but not somehting we do out and about. I know it gives you a nice feeling dd, but we can't so it all the time/at others houses. If you get continued 'over use' or doing it out n about then you can remind her what you said and then warn her that there might be sanctions if she continues (don't know what they are in your house, loss of fav toy, time-out?)