3 Year Old Imagining Bugs on Her Arms and Legs

I don't know what to tell you, other than the can of "air" is not a good idea! Look up and read how many kids die each year playing with those can's of air. That is a very serious thing with teenagers especially trying to get high! Just a thought!

My son started that when he was younger. I took him on a bug hunt. I taught him that lady bugs sugar ants rolly polly's are all good bugs. And not to worry. We are bigger than them and they are scared of us. It has seemed to work. He still scared of bugs but just stomps on them or runs. Its like a game to him.

Some kids are hypersensitive to the sensation of touch (as well as sounds and light). If it a common theme that seems to interrupt what she wants to do, then you might consider looking into Sensory Processing Disorder - also called Sensory Integration Disorder. Basically it causes people to over-react to normal sensations.

One of my children has been treated for it. He had trouble with loud noises, noisy places, obsession with bugs, irritable in wind, always needed his clothes - shoes and belt excessively tight. Things that were too much for him to take in would trigger a tantrum. At times it was really hard to decide what was overwhelming and what was just naughty!

Once you are educated about what you are dealing with it makes it much easier.

Treatment is completely non-medicine-Physical and Occupational Therapy.

Feel free to contact me if this sounds familiar. Most kids aren't diagnosed until age four or so...

That is tough. At 3, I am sorry you're experiencing this... The things that I would suggest... when she starts thinking she has a bug on her, take her to a mirror and show her the place she thinks the bugs is. If necessary, allow her to remove items that are blocking the place where 'the bug' is. Even further, if she continues insisting, offer a chance to take a bath or shower. This will redirect her thoughts and make her smell all pretty :)

It will take a while for her to realize that the bugs are not there, but as you show her, she will start seeing that there is nothing there.

Another think I would try, start introducing her to harmless bugs, like lady bugs or rolly polly's... I wouldn't suggest she holds them, but maybe if you do, she'll start seeing that it is ok for some bugs to be around.

The most important thing though, is don't get upset yourself. If is hard to keep your calmness, but it is necessary for her that you stay calm no matter how frustrated or scared you get. Luckily, all kids have phases of fears, and hopefully she'll come right out of it.

Hope it helps!

HI K..
Do you think your daughter is old enough to articulate herself and her needs? If you do, just ask her, "What would make you feel better about the bugs?" and whatever she needs to make her feel better - and it's reasonable - then do that. I like the previous commenter's idea of a "misting bottle". You could give her options, like a long-sleeved t-shirt and long pants at night, or a special cloth that wipes the bugs away, etc. I think if you make her feel empowered to handle the solution herself, it will help. She will still probably be a bit scared, but if she can solve the problem on her own she can overcome it easier.

Good luck!

Hi K., no need to worry! :)
In my opinion, this is not even near as serious as something like OCD...sounds like maybe a big fuss was made, initially, over the sugar ant and now that's the current "attention getter"...she also might just be a little freaked from the feeling of the bug crawling on her arm...but I think it'll wear off...both my 8 year old and my 2 year old, react in a similar way to things like this...trust me, it wears off after a few days...the socks will be getting in the way of activity and she'll probably discard them and not look back.

First of all, the socks are not hurting anything so if they make her feel better to sleep, what's the harm? Second, she will react in part to how you react. Take your daughter out into the yard or park and find some lady bugs and rolly-polly bugs and let her play with them. If she sees that they will not hurt her, maybe she will not be so afraid. River Legacy Park in Arlington has a program for 3-5 year olds that in part helps them to understand bugs and other creatures of the wild. You might see about enrolling her in that program or maybe one your parks and recreation has to offer. The Dallas zoo used to have small critters on the weekend that the kids could interact with. I'm not sure if they still do this, but it might be good to check out. I think the more she sees that there are creatures that won't hurt her, the better off she will be.

Sounds to me like an obsession starting. I think the worst thing you can do is encourage the avoidance of the fear by giving her "gloves" and washing- that will just make it worse. She's only 3, so I think if you "nip it in the bud" now, it'd be best. I have a 10yo niece with OCD and the main therapy for it is to make the child face their fears- expose them to the fear, not avoid them. If she's afraid of something, make her face it and she'll cry about it, but will figure out that, in fact, there are no bugs and she'll get over it. I know, it kinda sounds mean, but, like I said, she's only 3, so start helping her over her fears now before it turns into OCD. I'd look at the offended limb and say to her, when she says that there are bugs on her, "Nope, no bugs!" in an upbeat manner.... and then maybe make it fun- "but mommy will tickle them away if you want" and then tickle. Just help to make it fun and silly. HTH.

Get a can of compressed air - maybe like something used to clean off a computer keyboard - and tell her it is "no more bug" spray. It can't hurt her and she can be sprayed as often as needed!

I agree with Holly. She may very well feel something on her arm like a crumb or something and just associate it with a bug because that's the newest thing she's learned. I am also hypersensitive to things touching me. My husband calls me princess and the pea! When I lay down at night I have to have the blankets completely straight with no folds in them. We even had to buy a mattress pad because I could feel the stitching in our mattress through our sheets. Forever I thought there were crumbs in our bed and I was yelling at everyone in the house for sneaking in my room eating in our bed. Finally I was so frustrated one night I stripped the bed and put on new sheets... and what do you know... that's when I discovered the stitching!! So don't disregard what she's telling you. She maybe feeling something that you can't see. The compressed air in a can is a great idea too. If there is something on her that will sure blow it right off.

Go to the book store buy a bug book after you have read it a few times and talked about bugs then take her out to play with bugs and worms. You play with the bugs first then she will want to play. Show her it's fun tell her you like how they tickle you.

Research Night Terrors on the internet. Can be common at this age. Its different from a nightmare, but because of her recent ant experience I wouldn't be surprised if she is having Night Terrors. They often feel like bugs are crawling all over them. My oldest son had them at about age 3/4. They generally phase out of it.

There are several methods of dealing with it (like getting rid of the hiccups.) The one that worked the best for us was putting his feet in cool water when he had one.

Maybe try a "magic" lotion that will act as a bug repellant / "glove"....buy a lotion that you have not bought before so it looks different/new. If you get one in a pump bottle, she could even get an extra squirt out herself when she thinks she needs it, like in the middle of the night! It won't last long. :)

take a spray bottle or empty aersol bottle... type in big letters "bug spray" and maybe adhesive some photos of bugs on the paper. take the completed page and wrap around the bottle. at night before she goes to bed, "spray" the room stating bugs be gone. might use water in the spray bottle. good luck.

This should be easy. Take her to the store to buy bug soap. You just washed her wrong. You are after special soap that gets rid of bugs and keeps them away. The smell keeps them from coming back. You will need a lotion for bugs also as the soap smell may go away and you have to reapply. She is 3 any soap that you can still smell after she is done taking a bath on her skin will work. Walmart also makes a cotton candy smelling perfume and the smell lingers forever if you prefer to get that. Just remember it is bug stuff. When mine was 3 he was terrified of ghost and monsters. We called the bug man and told him it was the ghost and monster man and he watched him spray and told him when he missed a spot. Now about every 3 months he tells us they are coming back and then the bug man shows up right on time. Works great.