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normal child behavior


bmom

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My 3 year old daughter has occasionally been doing a shoulder shrug. I put a shirt on her today that had a funny collar. She started doing the shoulder shrug. I asked her why and she said the tag bothered her. I got nervous because of my son having tics. I took the shirt off and she stopped. I noticed this once before on her first day of preschool. We walked in and she started shrugging. I have noticed the neighbor girl next door who is almost 3 doing the same shoulder shrug occasionally. Is this normal toddler behavior? Am I paranoid or is this a signal? She will occasionally say a tag is bugging her, but not daily. Is this also normal toddler behavior? My friend said her toddler complains of this too. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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my daughter, looking back (she's now 8), was always so sensitive to clothing and didn't want to wear certain things as she said they were "itchy" or "scratchy" or the tags were bothering her. Of course i was impatient and had no idea what was going on. she also had/has excema. i wouldn't panic or anything, she may just have sensitive skin---our tics didn't surface until she was over 5. i do wish i could go back in time and not be so insistent that she wear certain things! try not to worry and be understanding if she doesn't like a certain collar, tag, etc. try not to worry, it may be a normal toddler/girl thing!

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hi bmom:

 

Let's see if i have anything to share on this....when your daughter shrugged, did you have any sense that she was conscously shrugging? Like if im answering someone by shrugging my shoulder you can tell i am doing it on purpose....also, when she shrugged going into preschool that day, did she have on a shirt that bothered her?? how often does she do this shrug? does she have any other possible symptoms? is there a time when you put the shirt that bothers her on and she doesnt shrug or complain? those are questions i would ask myself. with my son, although he is 8, i can always tell when its a tic and when its a voluntary movement because maybe he is stretching or something. when he was around 3, he had so many other symptoms that i didnt notice tics, although he always had sensitivites which may have been tics, like didnt like to be touched in certain spots, rolled his eyes all the way to one side or the other, licked things and pushed up on this for pressure stimulation. i wouldnt be comfortable saying "oh dont worry its nothing" and i wouldnt say "oh yes something is wrong" - i dont know, but i would think about the occurence and see what you feel may be going on. are the occurences so isolated that its hard to tell why she is shrugging? i wouldnt panic, definitely, chances are it is not tics, but these may be some good questions to ask.

 

My 3 year old daughter has occasionally been doing a shoulder shrug. I put a shirt on her today that had a funny collar. She started doing the shoulder shrug. I asked her why and she said the tag bothered her. I got nervous because of my son having tics. I took the shirt off and she stopped. I noticed this once before on her first day of preschool. We walked in and she started shrugging. I have noticed the neighbor girl next door who is almost 3 doing the same shoulder shrug occasionally. Is this normal toddler behavior? Am I paranoid or is this a signal? She will occasionally say a tag is bugging her, but not daily. Is this also normal toddler behavior? My friend said her toddler complains of this too. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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bmom,

 

Alot of people have "tactile issues", but do not go on to have OCD or tics. I have three kids who all were very "tactile aware". I had to cut out every tag in every piece of clothing. Line up sock lines, buy only certain types of clothing, you name it. So when my oldest was diagnosed with OCD at age 5, I just knew I was doomed for an entire life of this. However, he is the only one with true full blown OCD and tics. My middle son does show some tendencies, but is able to overcome or be reasoned with. My sister is an adult and was always the same way with her clothing. My pediatrician says alot of children are that way. It is a type of sensitivity disorder and with some it is also in the way things feel in their mouth when they eat. The good news is that this is not life altering, it just makes life hard on Mom's. Just try to relax and not make a big deal of it. The more aware they are of it, the more they think about it and so on. Just buy a good pair of scissors.

 

Dedee

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Dedee,

How funny! I will never forget my first born in this beautiful pink dress with lace and netted underskirt. I was so excited to wear it on her. However as soon as I put it on her she cried her eyes out until I took it off. She was like one month old. After that she was always sensitive and picky! My youngest can be bothered and changed and undressed and put in frills and never a peep. Like you said some are just sensitive. It has nothing to do with OCD in some cases.

Michele

bmom,

 

Alot of people have "tactile issues", but do not go on to have OCD or tics. I have three kids who all were very "tactile aware". I had to cut out every tag in every piece of clothing. Line up sock lines, buy only certain types of clothing, you name it. So when my oldest was diagnosed with OCD at age 5, I just knew I was doomed for an entire life of this. However, he is the only one with true full blown OCD and tics. My middle son does show some tendencies, but is able to overcome or be reasoned with. My sister is an adult and was always the same way with her clothing. My pediatrician says alot of children are that way. It is a type of sensitivity disorder and with some it is also in the way things feel in their mouth when they eat. The good news is that this is not life altering, it just makes life hard on Mom's. Just try to relax and not make a big deal of it. The more aware they are of it, the more they think about it and so on. Just buy a good pair of scissors.

 

Dedee

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sounds like sensory integration dysfunction (SID) aka Sensory Processing Disorder which is very prevalent in many kids, especially with neuro disorders.

 

Sometimes it just "settles" and isnt bothersome and for others it really is helped by specific occupational therapy

 

good book and website by Carol Kranowitz: The Out of Sync Child

http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/

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