4 year old Rocking. Rocks before going to sleep. Rocks in Car Seat

[Mikeal007]

I have a 4, almost 5 year old daughter.  She is very strong willed and emotional.  She has been rocking since before she was 1.  Its almost the same motion, almost like she's doing crunches sitting up.  My wife and I have always been very disturbed by it.  We've  never understood why she does it.  She goes in and out of doing it alot, to never doing it at all.  She is now in a phase of doing it ANYTIME she is in her car seat.  She looks so tense while doing it, and doesn't want us to look at her.  We try to keep her attention but as soon as she can, she's doing it again.  She also does it almost EVERY night when she lays down to goto bed, she does it so intensely that she sweats.  She gets up after about 10 or so minutes and doing it and she's soaking wet and wants us to put her back to bed.  Lately we've linked it to stress....we think.  She hadn't done it for a long time and two times in a row after getting back from grandmothers house she did it coming home(in her carseat) and for a couple nights(at bedtime) afterwards.  Her Grandmother and Grandfather fight all the time, and refuse to quit even infront of her.  We are starting to wonder if it is a soothing stress control for her.  We are worried something is wrong with her mentally.  We've taken her to the doctor when she was young and they said nothing is phyiscally wrong with her.  We are desperate because she is 2 months away from turning 5 and she has just started doing it alll the time agian.  We even walk into daycare and see her doing it sometimes.
She has been haveing behavioral issues for the last year, with hitting and saying bad words, throwing things, tantrums.  Nothing seems to phase her, no punishment even effects her.  She seems to have no filter for her action.  She has no understanding on consequence. She is not getting to the point that her mother has no control over her at all.  We are at the point of taking her to a Child Pyschologist.  
Please, you have any information, please help.

[channey508]

First thought is that she is just self soothing. But further reading i agree that a psychologist might not be a bad idea. Just to be safe. Be weary of anyone that tries to give your child pills as a first (or second) defense. I can speak from 1st hand experience. good luck.  

[specialmom]

I agree with channey508.  I would try not to be concerned about the rocking and respect her desire to do it.  So far it isn't interfering in anything and she seems to need it.  My son has sensory integration disorder and was a huge spinner for a while.  I would try to stop him until I realized it is what he was doing to feel okay. I felt bad for ever trying to stop it.   I've never medicated my son and would be loathe to do so-----  we do occupational therapy.  It's helped in so many ways.  Your daughter may work through the behavioral stuff in time but make sure that all of you are very very calm with her.  Don't yell or hit yourself (or your wife) and figure out where she is hearing the language-----  she has to learn that somewhere.  I wouldn't allow her to have visits alone at grandma and grandpa's if they do not have the impulse control to not fight in front of her.  It isn't worth how that must make your child feel inside----  find another babysitter.  Good luck.

[sunshine1976]

Our therapist actually incouraged us to have our son rock.  He gets very "wild" and if we try to walk or jump or do anything to get the wiggles out it just winds him up.  Now I sit down with him and rock and it works like a charm.  Rocking can be an indication of problems and seek a doctor if you are concerned, but remember it's not the rocking that's the problem.  If there is a problem the rocking is helping her cope.