Hi. I have a few issues that I could use help with. Any adivce would be great.
1. My daughter will be 5 years old next week. She has been usually a good sleeper sleeping thru the night, but for the past few months she has been waking up in the middle of the night 1x (last night was 2x) and comes into the master bedroom to say that she has to use the bathroom or is scared of "shadows" and "noises." She walks past her bathroom (has a nightlight) and thru the dark to get to our room. My husband and I usually take turns who takes her back to bed or the bathroom. (Sometimes I play possumn and pretend I don't hear her). She has a nighlight in her room which is really bright. Maybe it's too bright? We tried a chart to reinforce sleeping thru the night but didn't have much success with that.
2. Sometimes she bites her nails or just has her fingers in her mouth. It concerns me as she'll be starting kindergarten this fall and will be around more kids vs. preschool. Is there some type of ointment to put on nails to discourage this behavior?
3. Last question, sometimes I notice that she has body odor under her arms. I think it's strong as I can smell it and looking for sugestions. I just usually have her wash under her arms in the morning before she gets dressed. Her dr suggested baby powder.
Thanks for your time!
Hi Karin,
Here are some web sites on G & D
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=322
http://children.music.edu/health_library/growth/presch45.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/child-development
Parenting classes: ###-###-#### ext 37
Hope this helps. D.
I do have to say that i agree with Linda O. It is way to early for her to be going into puberty. I was concerned that my daughter was early and she was 9 or 10 ish... please see a doctor so he can help her. Best of luck to you...
Please don't think that I am 'declaring' a problem here...but I want to share a personal experience.
Some years ago a three or four year old granddaughter was visiting. I had opportunity to bathe her...and noticed a strong personal odor THAT NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE. I asked her mother if by chance the child had been molested...and she said 'no'.
Some time afterward the mother called me; and reminded me of my question. The child had visited a neighbor, and was offered a lollipop. She refused (unusual for a child). When the neighbor (whom she also called 'pop') questioned why she refused, she explained: "You and my (0ther grandfather) are 'good'; but (the other grandpop) IS NOT!
The other grandfather had been abusing her...after giving her candy to entice her into his room.
The odor I detected...NOT something a child should have...had revealed what was happening to her.
I can't say this is the case with your daughter...but the odor...combined with her nighttime fears, might need investigation.
Hi Karin,
I recommend you see a specialist with regard to the body odor, it is a signal that your daughter's hormones are changing [early]. My coworker's daughter began going through puberty at age 4 and they have been working with a hormone specialist to help her. I believe my coworker was taking her child to Allegheny General. The nail biting and sleep problems indicate anxiety, and mild anxiety is normal as a child goes through any changes (the physical changes are brought on by chemical changes, and the chemistry imbalance can induce anxiety in anyone). It may pass with time, but since she is also showing the hormonal changes, I would be sure to discuss all of this with the endocrinologist. Additional short-term counseling may be helpful. My impression of your doctor and his suggestion to use baby powder was not positive. I've seen too many doctors dismiss important indicators such as what you've described, and without knowing much more about him, wouldn't hesitate to find another pediatrician.
Best wishes to you and your family
Hi Karin, As far as the nail biting/finger sucking. Some people will tell you to use all kinds of terriable suff from hot sause to finger nail polish. It won't work unless she wants to quit! Your best bet is to talk to her about it, explain to her why you don't want her to do it, and if all else fails tell her that she can only do it with clean hands in the privacy of her own room. Don't fight, just be calm and everytime you see her tell her to go to her room. Sooner or later the behavior will stop on it's own as she will not want to go to her room so much.
Suave has some inexpensive "for teens" underarm deoderant that should take care of this problem. My girls used it when they were younger, espically durring the summer months.
Getting a dimmer night light might help, also a night with Daddy/Mommy explainning all the sights and sounds she wakes up to might help as well. If you lay in her room and "see" what she is seeing and "hear" what she is listening to you can explain it to her on the spot...with knowledge comes peace of mind! Good luck and best wishes
Hi Karin,
I can only relate to the sleep issue. My son is 5 and a half. He likes his door shut at night and has a nightlight that changes colors....some brighter than the others. Never had any issues but rececntly he did the complaining of the "spooky shadows," & etc. As I had rearranged a few things in his room, the shadows looked different. I went in with him in bed and asked him to point out a spooky shadow. Then I identified and moved around the object casting that shadow. Problem solved. He is back to his regular nighttime gig now. I think at this age they are starting to have "fears" and trepidations about lots of stuff. I'd just take her back in and explain what's happening. Good luck!
P.S. As far as the body odor s concerned--I'd try cornstarch instead of baby powder (which is dangerous if inhaled) and sprinkle away!
Answers...
1. Use a dimmer night light. I had the same problem. I would keep the hall light on for my daughter with her bedroom door open. She would get up more then once. So I got a dim night light and it stopped. Light is good but too much light is not so good.
2. As for the nail biting and finger sucking again my daughter did the same thing. I just explined to her how dirty it was and how many germs were on her fingers. I told her she was going to get sick. Sure enough she did. She asked why she was sick and I told her it was becuase she kept putting her fingers in her mouth. She stopped. Every so often I will find her doing it and remind her of how sick she was and how horrible she felt.
3. Babypowder is good. If it keeps not smelling so good maybe use a mild deoderant.
Hope this helps. Bonnie
It's probably just a stage little kids go through. But stage or not, she has legitimate concerns. If it's shadows or noises, maybe she hears the house settling at night or the temperature change in the heat ducts, etc. Maybe she feels that her room to too far from other people's rooms? (I felt that way). Maybe she needs to hear from other people nearby, and if she can she may feel that they can hear what she's hearing too-and if they're not worried about it, maybe she doesn't need to be either. Maybe she's just not tired enough, so she has the energy to think about other things, meaning all the bumps in the night. Is she watching scary things on t.v.? Or hearing things from her friends (like that one of them heard a ghost or something)? It may just be that she feels like her room is too far away from others.
Actually, I don't know if she is pretty worn out before she goes to bed, but waking up in the middle of the night she may feel disoriented. She may just need to feel like she's closer to you-in a closer room, if possible, to settle back down enough to go back to sleep. But I'd ask her about noises-what she thinks they could be and the shadows. Ask what she would like for reassurance during those times.
