K.M.
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Chicago
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Does she have sensory issues?
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When my daughter was a little girl she would pluck little fuzzies and roll them up into little balls, and then she would stick them in her mouth, and rub them on her face. She is now 12 years old and she's still doing it. When she was about 4 years old I gave her a little stuffed tiger, and 2 months later that thing was bald. There was a lot of fuzzies all over the house, my daughter says she can't help it, she's been doing it for so long, she's only swallowed 4 fuzz in her entire life, it's weird, how do I get her to stop?
Does she have sensory issues?
Nothing you can do really. I have always "lollied" which is rubbing fabrics and zoning out. Lol. As an adult I've also picked up playing with hair ties around my wrist (can't go without them!), chewing my cheeks, rubbing my chest (enough to cause bruises at times). Anxiety sucks! I could (and have in the past) get medicated, but I don't like the way it makes me feel. The more you make her feel like her habit is bad, the more anxiety it will charge, so I would just leave it alone.
Just be thankful she's pulling fuzz off a stuffed animal and not pulling out her hair. When I was about 12 I started pulling out my eyelashes and I can't seem to stop either. I'm 33 now. It's been a long fight and I don't think I'll ever beat it. Keep her in a steady supply of stuffed animals so she never ever ever turns her attention to her own body.
It freaking sucks.
I would not try to "get her to stop," but I might see if there is something she can do to at times replace it while still satisfying the need she feels. What does she do while at school or with friends? Does chewing gum help? I like the idea suggested of wearing a fuzzy hair tie around the wrist - maybe she could just rub that on her face, or chew on it in private when she feels a need.
I would also try to keep her stress level down. You might want to make sure her endocrine system is healthy, her sleep is excellent, she gets plenty of fun exercise, and has no food allergies or sensitivities that might require a diet change, and she has a healthy gut & check yeast overgrowth (see here: http://itsnotmental.blogspot.com/2011/03/gut-brain-and-ba....
She may actually grow out of this on her own. I had a "habit" and learned to change it into something more socially acceptable when I was in my teens, and many years later it did slowly fade away altogether. The gum chewing helped me a lot and my teachers themselves WANTED me to chew gum at school! I also kept my hands occupied, fiddling with pencils, pens, and doodling.
It sounds like it could be OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) which I think almost everybody has to one degree or another. I still have one where I trace patterns on my fingers. But another one I had where I had to buy things in multiples of 5 I was able to get rid of with behavior modification. I bought 4 or 6 and then felt slightly uncomfortable. But as I did it more and more it just faded away. She might want to talk to a counselor about coping techniques. That helped my daughter with her OCD behaviors that were keeping her from having friends.
i have 2 diff friends and both of their sons do this!!! a 7 year old and a 2 year old. have to talk to a therapist sounds like a nervous habit
