repetitive grunting

[kashmark0573]

My 3 year old daughter makes a continuous grunting noise practically all day long.  I've asked her to try to stop but it doesn't seem to phase her.  I'm worried...?

[allmymarbles]

One of my daughters was a grunter. But she did it mostly at night. It wasn't for attention. I think the noise was to keep her company when she couldn't sleep. I used to sing to keep myself company. It was the same as her grunting.

[specialmom]

By the way, your daughter is adorable!

[specialmom]

Actually it can be a tick as well.   I'd bring it up to your pediatrician.  

While I agree with marklakewood, the child in school is not having a 'behavioral' thing.  By school age, it is typically related to a neurological issue such as sensory integration disorder which is not a behavioral thing but rather a developmental issue.  Most kids who have that issue by grade school are not trying to get attention but are completely unaware they are even doing it.

That is different than a toddler.  My son had an eye twitch when he was young.  I took the path of ignoring it and went away.  But in third grade, he developed a vocal tic that was first complex (he said a word "yeah") and then became non complex (a sound).  He was unaware he was doing it and now a year later, he has a complex tic when nervous.  That is the more typical pattern of grade school age kids.  That tic type of sounds/words, etc. are related to something 'else' going on and no, other kids don't start doing it.

So, try ignoring the sound and see if it goes away.  I hope so!  It's hard on a child to have any type of tic!  good luck

[Mmarkey19695]

Some children go through for attention. I actually experienced it first hand with my oldest.  I ignored it and never gave her any attention for it but other family members did not. She finally broke the "habit" when I took her to the doctor and they "called her out on it" in a manner of speaking, of course very professionally.

I want to clarify that in my above portion of this post when I said "learning it it school" I was referring to I learned about it in one of my college course, not I heard about children picking it up from schoolmates.  God Bless

[Mmarkey19695]

I agree with Marklakewood3367 completely. I had heard of children developing something called habit cough in school. It's a behavioral phase s

[MarkLakewood3367]

I'm sure that this is only a phase.  To extinguish the behavior, simply do not give it any of your attention.  In other words, simply ignore the behavior while you praise her for prosocial behavior.  Since your daughter, like everyone else, loves and needs attention, she will change her behavior to get that praise from you especially when she isn't receiving any attention for the inappropriate behavior.