Parenting Toddlers Support Group

From the day my daughter was born (she's 2 and a half now), she's done this very strange thing when she throws a fit. She will rub both of her feet together very hard. About a year ago she started doing it with her hands. She'll grab one hand with the other and pull her fingers as hard as she can, while rubbing her feet together. She only does this when she's crying. If I seperate her hands, she rubs her feet harder. If I seperate her hands and her feet, she wigs out. She yells and screams and tries to hit and throw things. She won't stop doing it til she's calmed down, the only thing is....the more she does it the more angry she gets. She's given herself bruises and cuts from doing it so hard. What do I do?!

Have you talked to her pediatrician about this? I don't want to freak you out because I may be way off base. It might be a little of OCD. My sister had OCD and even at 2 she would wash her hands so much that she would make herself bleed. I think with her loosing it after you try to soothe her and keep her from doing it you should talk to your pedatrician for advice.

Let us know what the pediatrician says...

HUGS & good luck!!!

Even though she is a toddler, I can relate to a similar condition as an adult... "Anxiety." As you know there are 100's of different types of anxiety and every person copes with theirs in a different way. Myself, similar to your daughter it seems when something ether may really excite myself, or make me angry, or even nervous, or anxious I tend to get this tingle in my hands and more so my feet. Almost as if they are galling asleep with the needles. I would get the urge to rub my feet hard on the ground and clap my hands in a weird way. It all sounds very foolish I know-but I have come to find out through a lot of reading and also seeing a psychiatrist that these types of things are in the head as I am sure you are aware of. I went through what they call Congnative Behavioral Therapy. They offer this at a toddlers age as well. They just help with your child to find different ways with coping with the anxiety-fear or temptation from having to do that with her hands and also feet. You gota remember that our hands and feet have some of the biggest nerves in them and tend to be the most sensitive.

I hope by now you found the answer or information that you were seeking. As I can see you posted this a while ago. Anyways, just food for thought.