Stopping DD from picking at her belly button

[lindauer72101]

Ok, I have a strange one. My DD is 3.5 and has always sucked her thumb and rubbed her belly button. While it was cute at first and we went through the stages of her putting her hand down her shirt/onesie to reach her belly, at 3.5 we want her to stop. I don't really care that she touches it but now she has reached the point of picking at it until it sometimes bleeds. We have talked to her and offered bribes to get her to stop. Daycare has even tried to work on it. But, short of putting a cone around her belly like vets use on animals, I don't know what to do.

I have asked her if something is bothering her and why she does it. Her answer is always I don't know. I understand it is a comfort thing but when she has picked at her belly until it bleeds, there is a problem.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

[pinkmomagain]

Angela,

I don't have alot of good advice...but I can sympathize. My 2yo seems to need to be busy with her hand for soothing too...recently this means picking at her lips until they bleed. I moisturize her lips at night after she's asleep, and when I catch her I give her gentle reminders to stop because she is making boo-boos on her lips.

At times I've also caught her pulling on hair (head, eyelashes)....unfortunately she has an older sister who has had about with trich (pulling out hair to the point of baldness) which we have had to control with meds. I don't mean to scare you in anyway at all....but I have to be on full alert with my little one, given the family history. I know with my older dd it was a comfort thing or boredom thing.

I would mention it to the ped, to get his/her feedback. And maybe put a bandaid over the bellybutton to try to restrict access.

Gina

[BillK]

Zach picks at this upper lip (right in the middle) and it makes us CRAZY! I hope some more folks reply with tips to help eliminate this kind of stuff.

[Jen841]

#2 does that sometimes. He learned it from my niece, and came home from a visit at their house with the habit. Onesie's prevent the dig for us. My SIL did put electrical tape over nieces and it pretty much worked. Sounds harsh I know, but she was reaching down her clothes, undoing crotch snaps,... I did a bandaid and that worked for us a bit.

[missym]

At almost age 5, Gwen is an unreformed bb picker. We've extended "private places, private spaces" to include her bellybutton, so she's supposed to be in her room if she feels the need to pick. And with Gwen, it's not just picking. She turns it inside-out and rolls it around. Gross!

She definitely does it more if she's stressed about something. Usually if I remind her to stop, she will. But it really is quite a habit.

The good news is, her belly button is like leather now. So she rarely scratches herself these days. :rolleye0014:

[lizajane]

do you want her to stop because she makes it bleed or because you don't want her to comfort herself by rubbing her belly button?

my DS is near 5 and he sucks his thumb and rubs his belly button. i really wish i could stop the thumb sucking because his teeth are starting to show damage and he ingests a lot of germs. but i could not care less about the belly button thing. no harm, no foul.

so i am wondering if it really is the bleeding thing or not because if she has a way to find comfort, i don't understand why you want to take it away. i wish like crazy my DS1 had a lovey so he could more easily find comfort when he is anxious, but he never took to one. just the belly button thing. so honestly, i am all for it.

as for the picking until it bleeds- cover it up with a super big band aid that is hard to pull off. but be prepared for to be very stressed.

[Kungjo]

Haven't read all the responses, but could you perhaps put a bandage on it to remind her not to pick it? I would still call the ped though just to ask for suggestions. GL

[lindauer72101]

My only concern is that she is picking at her bb until it bleeds. She never found a comfort object so her belly is it. I just don't want her causing damage to the area or getting an infection because she is messing with it.

Thanks for everyone's ideas.

[Piglet]

My DS1 used to do this all the time. Suck thumb, rub/pick at belly button. I don't remember it being so severe as to cause bleeding/discomfort, but it was definitely his comfort thing. He outgrew it. The thumb followed many years later (as in, I think he has finally stopped at the ripe old age of 6.5).

[StantonHyde]

A friend's DD did this. She bought big square band aids and drew pix on them. Her DD thought it was a great idea.