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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Re: 10 yr. old who "repeats" things?
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Re: 10 yr. old who "repeats" things?
by shawn__0, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By shawn on June 26, 1999 at 23:59:22
This may be a totally unneccesary concern--but my daughter has been demonstrating an "odd" behavior for approx. 1 year. She will make a comment, or ask a question. and immediately following it, she will repeat the last few words in a whisper that is barely noticable. She doesn't even appear to realize she is doing it. I have brought it up to her in the past--without making too big a deal of it, to see what she would say. At first she seemed confused by my question, but then, became upset and asked me if it meant she was "crazy". She has told me that she can't stop it. She is an active, happy kid, with lots of friends. She makes excellent grades and has a calm and stable home life. Do you think I need to worry about this, or just wait for her to outgrow it, like she did when I thought she was starting to be a nailbiter? I try to be a relaxed Mom and not sweat the small stuff, but I don't want to minimize a real problem, either. Thank you.
This may be a totally unneccesary concern--but my daughter has been demonstrating an "odd" behavior for approx. 1 year. She will make a comment, or ask a question. and immediately following it, she will repeat the last few words in a whisper that is barely noticable. She doesn't even appear to realize she is doing it. I have brought it up to her in the past--without making too big a deal of it, to see what she would say. At first she seemed confused by my question, but then, became upset and asked me if it meant she was "crazy". She has told me that she can't stop it. She is an active, happy kid, with lots of friends. She makes excellent grades and has a calm and stable home life. Do you think I need to worry about this, or just wait for her to outgrow it, like she did when I thought she was starting to be a nailbiter? I try to be a relaxed Mom and not sweat the small stuff, but I don't want to minimize a real problem, either. Thank you.
Related discussions
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Re: 10 yr. old who "repeats" things?Posted By shawn on June 26, 1999 at 23:59:22 This may b...[more]
Dear Shawn,
From the sound of your note, you are adopting a sensible approach to your daughter's behavior - i.e., expressing legitimate curiosity without overreacting. The sort of vocalization you describe is not particularly symptomatic of any one emotional disorder, but is sometimes seen in children who display anxiety disorders. Did the onset of the repetitions occur in an acute, sudden fashion, or in a more gradual, insidious way? Is the behavior worsening over time? Are others reacting to it? Is there any family history of anxiety disorders or other emotional disorders? Did your daughter (or does she now) display an unusual degree of separation anxiety? If you wish, send along some remarks in reply to these questions - it will help to illuminate the situation.
Your daughter seems to be functioning well, and there is no indication in your note that she is impaired in any significant way in her home, school or peer functioning. If that is the case, it would be sensible to adopt a 'watch and wait' approach. One concern is that your daughter is approaching late preadolescence (younger in girls than in boys), and sometimes psychological disorders, particularly those that have a stronger hereditary link, begin to manifest themselves at this age.
WeI appreciate your comments. No one else has actually noticed her repeating, and we don't have any family history that I'm aware of, of any types of anxiety or mental disorders. My husband and I will observe carefully to see if it gets any worse.
We talked with her about it, and have decided to use a "sign" to bring it to her attention, since she still says she does it without thinking. She actually said that she thinks she started it to see "how I sounded when I was talking to someone, to see if it sounded dorky" I am hoping that it was just something that became a habit. Her personality, while pleasant and bright, is somewhat intense--which is part of what makes her such a good student, team member, karate class, etc...
She has no health problems, gets alot of sleep, with early bedtimes, and has ample free time to relax and play. When my husband and I had this talk with her, she asked us to use a "secret sign" to let her know she is doing it, and that she would try to be aware of it, and to stop. Do you think this would be an ok way to approach this? We don't want her to feel she is doing something bad or wrong, or anything, but would like this to stop, since it's obviously not " normal".
Follow Ups:
Re: 10 yr. old who "repeats" things? HVM Ph.D. - KDK 6/29/1999
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