Toddler Behavioral Question: My daughter seems to always have her hand down my shirt.?

Question

My daughter is 18Months. For the past few weeks or so she has more and more frequently been putting her hand down my shirt. First I thought it was just a comfy place for her to put her hand when we were cuddling, now it's all the time. In the grocery store she sticks her hand down my shirt, and just keeps it there. If I pull it out she will put it right back in. Right between my breasts. If she's sitting on my lap watching a movie, she has her hand reached behind her and she's got her hand in my shirt. Anywhere, anything I'm doing if it involves holding her or having her very close she has the hand down the shirt! I was going to ask her pediatrician, I ask her about every strange behavior she does repetitively but this is a bit awkward and I would rather ask complete strangers honestly. 

Now, I feel like it is just getting a bit more extreme. Today, as I was leaving my dads house I was holding the baby, and she grabbed my shirt and pulled it all the way down! Bit embarrassing.

I only breastfed a couple of weeks because I developed an infection. So she was on the bottle. I did the skin to skin with her anyways for the bonding after I stopped breastfeeding. Now, is this normal, an obsession, a relaxation thing, a mommy thing (she does this to no one else) or is this a skin to skin thing? I'm curious.

parental unit · Accepted Answer

Totally normal. My boys were a combo breast and bottle fed, they always had a hand up or down my shirt. She is old enough to start learning where and when this behavior is appropriate. Like, at nap time is OK, but at the store is not. At 18 months she is trying to "stake her claim", and she wants your boobs/ skin to be all hers, and not share with anyone (even you, lol). Gentle reminders and distractions should help. I eventually got my boys to switch to rubbing/pinching the skin on my arms rather than my chest, it made me more comfortable (especially after 2 years of breastfeeding, I really wanted my boobs back!!)

Anonymous · Answer

I'm a babysitter and the 15 month old girl I watch does this, well tries anyway, I stop her, but she tries whenever I hold her. I have her for 12 hours a day and she only sees her mother 3 or 4 hrs a day during the week, so I think she finds me comforting and wants to feel as close to me as possible. It is awkward and I always pull her hands away, and I'm glad that other kids do this. I assume it will stop as she gets older and more secure.

S S · Answer

Totally normal...it's for comfort. My daughter is 3 and doesn't really stick her hand all the way down but will get her hand in my shirt and stroke my chest or cleavage when I lie down with her for a nap. In public she does that when I'm holding her and she gets nervous about something. I think it's just a stage, perhaps you could try to figure out why she needs the comfort, especially in public places?

gertie · Answer

This is an interesting question, and one that made me curious for quite some time.

Anonymous · Answer

Not quite sure how to answer this

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Toddler Behavioral Question: My daughter seems to always have her hand down my shirt.?

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