Question
I could not find any reference to this issue in your archives. Our 9 year old daughter picks at her sores, wherever one will appear, and has done so for several years. They will be almost completely healed and then she opens them back up. Some sores last for months, and oftentimes they are hidden by clothing so I cannot see what she has been up to.
She understands that we do not approve, we have tried shaming, talking about why she does Q: it, rewards for not picking, etc. to no avail. Occasionally we can catch her in the act and she is quick to deny it, but she does the majority of "picking" when we are not around. When a sore will appear to be freshly re-opened, she will lie and said it happened while playing rough at school.
She is a well-adjusted child with no trauma or drama in her life. Her home is in-tact, loving and stable. I have a life-long habit of cracking my knuckles, not due to any trauma, it what something I liked as a kid and still do to this day, even though my parents hated it. I believe she falls in that category as well.
My sister-in-law also picks, and I see her scars and do not want this future for my daughter.
I am guessing that you will suggest "The Doctor's" prescription of "not getting enough sleep" (no more tv and bed at 6 pm) but I just wanted to make sure we were on the right path, and how we handle the finer points of this since we cannot catch her in the act. I am thinking nightly body checks? Also, how should we map her progress, three weeks and no evidence of re-opened wounds? Do you have experiences that says this can be habit can be cured?
Thank you for your time!
