wierd leg jerking

[kandrmom]

Hello. My three year old daughter jerks her legs when she is tired. She has done this since she was about one and a half. It is something she can control. Like if i offer her a cookie she gets right up. But i have never seen anything like that before and i'm worried. Could you tell me what you think please? Thank you very much.

[kandrmom]

Thank you so much. It never occured to me that it could be a tic. But it makes perfect sense. She is a little hyper just as i was and generally does not take naps unless she gets absolutely warn out. That doesnt happen much in the winter time though as we stay in. As i said she is 3 but as tall as a 5 yr old so i thought it might be growing pains! Thanks again. All the info was very helpful.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

This behavior is likely a tic (i.e., involuntary muscle movement) and generally thrse are benign and exacerbated or triggered by fatigue.  You should of course call it to the attention of her pediatrician. The following link to the American Academy of Pediatrics might be of interest to you:

http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Tics.htm