Constant Odd Noise Making

Perhaps it's a nervous habit. Could they have been nervous or uncomfortable with their father? Is he particularly critical with them? Just a thought.

Hi J.,

When did you become the disciplinarian when the ex has the kids?

If you really think the problem is pathologic, discuss it with your pediatrician. I tend to lean with your mother on this. Bringing so much attention to it might only make it worse.

My son used to make alot of rhythmic noises. I actually had a middle school teacher driven to such distraction, she actually suggested tourette's syndrome! Being a nurse, I knew that wasn't true, however, to placate her I had him Core evaluated. The result. Nothing! As it turned out my son is 22 and will graduate this year from college with a degree in music ed. He is a serious musician. I guess he just couldn't keep all that rhythm inside.

In all seriousness, I realize the noises and tappings can be distracting and the kids need to learn they affect others around them, but at 4 and 6, I am sure they are not aware of this.

Follow your mother's advice and find a good outlet for all that nervous energy. Meanwhile, I would let your ex deal with his own discipline issues while he has the kids. You and they shouldn't have to endure a big powwow after every weekend. You don't call him every time they act up for you do you? Best Wishes.

J. L>

Hi J.,
My son went through this same thing just after he turned 4. I had done the same with constantly telling him to stop. Then I went to a check up at the ped's office for my daughter and just brought it up at the end of the visit, and he said the WORST thing you can do is to tell them to stop! It is a voice tick. And from then on out I never mentioned another word to him about it. I actually came home apologized to him and told him the dr. said it was fine to do that. And it went away within the next 2 weeks. Just recently has he started to do it again here and there...I guess it is like clearing their throat as we would do. Best of luck:)

My 6-year-old develops such ticks. Last year, at the start of kindergarten, he started "clearing his throat" constantly. I checked with the Dr. to make sure it wasn't allergies and the Dr. agreed it was just a nervous tick and told us to ignore it completely. That seemed to work better than trying to "talk through" any anxieties that might be causing it (it's apparently difficult for the kid to understand that causal connection and implement a direct remedy). Anyway, I noticed the throat clearing eventually went away after several months and especially disappeared over the summer. Now that school has started again - it's a new tick! He now makes a gasping for air sound. I really believe it's a subconcious response to the new school year. He loves school, but there are certainly always anxieties that go along with each new year.
So we are going to try to just ignore this too and hope it goes away.
Good luck!

Ann, I am not divorced so don't know exactly how parents tend to work this out. But I would at least repeat back to him what he said: "I am bothered that the girls are making noises with their mouths.." Really, they are four and six.... lighten up, if it is stress because he is... difficult... Look ahead a few years. Generally when they hit 12 I thingk the court takes into serious consideration if the daughters want to continue visits. If making noises is the big behaviour issue.... he should be able to calmly manage it when they are with him. IT seems to me it could very well be a tick that displays itself under certain stresses.

Good luck,
C. W.
www.MyHomeCottageBiz.com
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The same thing happened with my daughter last year. We had just moved and then she started kindergarten. About a week into school she started making odd noises almost like a moan/yawn. It drove me crazy!!!!! I took her to the Dr. thinking it might be allergies, she put her on a lot of different allergy meds and later decided it was a tick. Once we stopped talking about it and seeing the Dr for it it went away. The Dr. did say that if the noise was causing her to suffer socially with her peers that there was medication for it, but since it was only us being driven crazy we let it ride.
This year when school began she started with the noises again. We didn't make a big deal about it and it disappeared in about a week.

Hi J.,
My daughter is going thru the same thing right now. Her OCC behavior and nervous ticks were brought on by PANDAS and Stress. I have sought out medical attention thru the Nashua Family Counseling center in NAshua, NH. They are excellent. I was advised by a neurologist at Boston Childrens hospital that she needs to have Behavior therapy thru a psychologist or psychiatrist. I do recommend speaking to a DR as it is not something that will go away. For my daughter it actually got worse without medical attention and these ticks will go from one thing to another. My daughter actually started to pull one piece of hair out of her head at a time and has many bald spots. If their teacher has brought it to your attention, then it is not just your normal "nail biting" it is actually interferring with there social surrondings. I really do recommend getting medical advise. Also please remember this is not something they can control they also do not even realize they are doing these behaviors. Alot of time it is soothing for them and it is how they handle situations.

Hi J.,
Please contact your pediatrician and inform him/her of your oldest daughter's "noises". There are many reasons for this kind of behavior. They could be habits, emotional releases or medical. So further investigation is necessary.

I would say that if they resemble "nervous ticks" than they might be a result of anxiety etc, perhaps caused by the divorce? If that's the case there is nothing physically you can do, but you can take them to counseling to see if they can get to the root of the problem...good luck!

I'm wondering if the noises might be stress related. The more stressful the situation the more the noises. It could be that XH is constantly yelling at your daughters to stop the noises which could in turn make them do them more. What is the situation like in general at XH's house? Does he make it a pleasant visit or is it a stressful one for the girls? If so try giving them a little Rescue Remedy before they go for a visit. Just 3 or 4 drops. It might help keep them calm enough to keep the noises a little less bothersome. I too am divorced and would notice that my kids had "ticks" of some sort after coming home from a stressful weekend at dad's. I think it's just their way of reaching out in a stressful situation when they don't have words to talk about it.