[OakBerry]

My 4.5 year old has this fixation on touching my and dh's elbows. It started as a game he played with dh, and after several months, began to annoy dh. I told dh to ignore it, and he'd stop. Well, he didn't stop. And it escalated into ds touching, poking, pinching dh's elbow (or coming up and slamming his head into his elbow) any time he was holding him, or lying next to him in bed. Dh tried to set limits, but ds couldn't stop doing it. So dh started putting ds in time out for doing it. That solved the problem temporarily, but then ds started doing it to ME. At first I ignored it. As it went on for a month or so, I started telling him calmly that it was annoying me, to please respect my request not to touch my body when it annoys me, etc. I also tried distracting him and changing the subject. If I am lying with him at bedtime he will manuever himself so his knee or head is touching my elbow. If I tuck it under me, he feels around for it. I tell him if he does it I will get up and leave the room. And I follow through and he screams and cries like his heart is broken.<br>
It still continues, no matter what I try. Now it's to the point where he will start saying "elbow" and pointing at our elbows.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/dizzy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Dizzy">:<br>
We've always modeled respect for body and personal space.<br>
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I deal with this all day long! I really feel that a 4.5 year old should be able to understand not to do this.<br>
It almost seems like perseveration?

 

[mavery]

No advice, but my 3.5yo does things a lot like this. Not always the same thing, but similarly intrusive and persistent, and no warnings help, no matter how devastated he'll be if we follow through. It drives me batty.<br><br>
I guess when he does it I try to stop and divert his attention and interact with him for a few minutes, and sometimes that helps. Sounds like you do that though.