How many times have you heard me say that over the years? Not many actually. I tend to have a lot of patience for many kid behaviors and focus on the growth and positives.
This one is driving me bonkers, N is a 5 year old girl. She has had difficult behaviors in the classroom and a little with us after school. The teacher has talked to parents often, parents talked to me a little bit and I have been honest that she has a lot of growth needed. She is young but some behaviors are closer to a younger child, and a good dose of stubbornness as well.
Over a week ago she started a new behavior, self-soothing in a sexual way (rubbing outside her clothes). I have done all the proper steps, talked to teacher, social worker, parents, and made the SS call. I had a parent who is also a school counselor walk through and see her on the first day she was doing this. The parent followed up with me to make sure the SS call was made. She simply will not stop! Some afternoons I am redirecting her 10 or more times, other staff is doing the same thing. We usually just say "N hands on the table". Yesterday I made her leave the table and sit next to me in the cool off/time out space next to my desk. It took 10 minutes, tears and refusing to come with me. I have a bag of things that are just for this time out space and she actually got interested in the putty. Today she was right back at it without any awareness of previous conversations it seems. I think I have exhausted my 'this is perfectly normal but private' conversations with her. I am now treating it like a child with any behavior that needs to stop, and I am running out of patience. I will redirect her and when I look over 2 minutes later she is trying again. So tomorrow may be a lot of time in the time out/cool off spot.
Side note that I first told my assistant about this before he had seen it. He asked what the problem was if it was self-soothing. Shouldn't she be able to do that. I think he understands better now that he has seen it for himself, not sure if he really thought it was okay or if he just likes questioning everything I do.