I have a three year old son who is suffering from some sort of sensory issue where he constantly seems to feel the urge to pinch or squeeze something as hard as possible. Mostly me, dad, his baby brother on the hands or face but sometimes nursery peers. It goes through phases of being a few times a day to almost continuously all day, he’s clenching his jaw and squeezing relentlessly bursting with pent up energy. It doesn’t feel like an aggressive thing- just an uncomfortable urge he’s trying to feed. Things I have tried so far that haven’t led to much change-
Squeezy balls dotted throughout house
Daily trips to playground to spin or swing, swimming lessons, lots of running around (on weekends, during the week he’s at nursery) and quiet time when I think he’s really overwhelmed- we do yoga stretching and breathing or read a book. Which can calm him for a bit.
He does also have a violent streak- so sometimes the squeezing etc does feel more calculated, and can also hit, kick and throw things (predominantly at his 9 month old brother). With this I reiterate kind hands, fuss over his brother, separate them, and let him know it is not ok and I am not happy. He does sometimes show remorse, but soon does it again.
If anyone has any advise on either of these I would be very grateful. I’m new to all this so I’m sorry if I’m getting it all wrong. I’m finding it quite overwhelming and hard to manage. Will things just eventually improve with age? Aside from the squeezing and violence, he’s a lovely boy. Incredibly articulate, funny, popular, affectionate. It’s like night and day.
Many thanks for any help.