Any Ideas?

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

Has anyone any ideas on how to stop a 2 1/2 year old picking her face, she fell over a while back scratched her nose, that took ages to heal up as she would not leave it alone, she has since had chicken pox, hand foot and mouth all of which she has worried, she currently has a bramble scratch that she will not let heal.

 

We have tried distraction techniques, which is great til nap time, putting plasters on face or fingers, her nails are kept short, we have tried nail varnish as a distraction and well as a specially designed necklace, nothing seems to work does anyone have any ideas please?

 

She woke up from her nap today with the bramble scratch bleeding again.

 

she has been to the dr and keeping her nails short was the only advice.

[apple]

Phil could you try a pair of soft cotton gloves or mittens? The type that babies wear to stop them scratching. You may be a able to get a small pair from Boots (we had a little girl who had severe eczema and she wore a pair of cotton gloves to stop her from scratching)

[Upsy Daisy]

Could you redirect it to an object with dried PVA glue on or perhaps peeling paint? Maybe a plastic cup you've painted?

[Rea]

As well as the distractions I'd be careful not to mention the picking at all, just distract her but ignore it. She might be associating the picking with attention now.

[Guest lou73]

I would say give her something else to distract her, maybe a tactile ball or something that she can fiddle with......

[Cait]

So is she doing it in her sleep too Phil? In which case I wonder if the healing process is tickling her? Have you tried putting Eurax or something on before she goes to sleep to keep it nice and soft?

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies, she does it whenever her hands are not busy. We do not give her any attention for it, we can tell by the way she acts that she has made herslf bleed. We have tried keeping it soft with vaseline and she still picks. Gloves/ mittens she removes. We are just struggling to find a solution meanwhile i am sure another round of impetigo is due soon ( despite the best will in the world).

[Cait]

I'm sure my mum would have had some ideas - probably to put TCP on to make it sting - that was her answer to most things (or iodine) with the phrase "Well, you've only yourself to blame, I told you not to ....."

 

That aside, there's only so much distraction you can do, isn't there!? I wonder if it itches, or if it's just a habit. I had a school friend who used to eat the skin of her fingers till they bled, she grew out of it eventually, but I can remember it quite vividly