My 4 year old daughter is almost constantly picking at her panties, pulling her vulva. She doesn't have any issues down there, she just picks it all the time. She has holes in the crotch from this habit. What would you do to make it stop? She's getting red down there b/c of it and she does it at inappropriate times like at church or at the store. Just telling her to quit hasn't helped thus far.
I'd think either she needs larger panties or she has a yeast infection which would make her itch (sometimes bubble bath will irritate so don't use it for awhile).
It could also be she's not wiping well enough after she uses the bathroom.
Give her hands something to do or hold so she's too busy to fuss with her panties.
Several things to rule out that might be causing irritation that I don't know if you have done.
Make sure she's wearing 100% cotton underwear.
She might be irritated by the laundry detergent that you are using. It also might not all be rinsing out. You only need to use about half of what the manufacturer says to use. Liquid rinses out better than power, power can leave a residue in clothes making them scratchy.
Is she wearing the right size?
Is she wiping from front to back and wiping completely after going to the bathroom?
Don't let her take baths with bubble bath. Use a mild soap to wash with like Ivory soap.
She may not have any physical signs of irritation but it could be there all the same.
Also at this point she's been picking so much that it is now irritated making her pick more. Get some diaper cream and put it on to sooth the irritation she's caused and heal the skin.
It is possible that she's discovered things can feel good "down there". But now she's taken it to the point where I doubt it feels good anymore as you said she's getting red.
Could she have some sort of infection?
Like a UTI?
Not sure because of her age but thought I'd mention it.
You could always put in a call into the doctor.
Is she tugging at her privates... or at her underwear?
I ask this because, when younger my daughter did that.
But I simply asked her "why" was she doing that.
She was not picking at her privates. She was tugging at her underwear... which happens to appear, that she was tugging at her privates.
So, I got my daughter underwear that was more comfortable for her, and a one size up, than what she wore.
After you've ruled out any type of irritation/infection, I would advise her that this is her privates and touching it is something she can only do in the privacy of her own room.
My youngest used to do the same in the most inopportune time at the most inappropriate places. I didn't want her to feel bad about touching her body but I don't want her to expose herself in public either.
Yeah, it's normal...my daughter does it too. Maybe not as much as your DD bc mine sucks her thumb most of the time ;)
Just keep reinforcing that it's only ok to do that at home. I told my DD that she would be in trouble if she did it anywhere but home. This too shall pass!
This is normal. It feels good to her.
Just remind her you know it feels good, but we only do that in the bathroom or our own bedroom.. Other wise just look at her and say, do you need to go potty or to your room?
As far as I know girls dont usually do this as often as boys do.
The rules that applies to boys, in my opinion, is that you dont mess with yourself in public. Have a talk with her on the subject.
I didnt raise any daughters. I didnt have a problem with diddling myself as a youngster so I have no advice to give except for the fact that your daughter might be under some stress and touching herself might be her relaxer, no different than biting nails, getting tats, or smoking cigarettes.
Hope you can figure it out.
I think everyone's ideas about infections or uncomfortable underwear is good.
We're working on this with our son, and what we're doing is telling him he needs to go to his own room to do that. We just say, "Honey, that's private. If you want to do that, you need to go to your room." Then we take him there. He's slowly learning that it's something he only does in private.
