Kid Question: Pulling on the ears at night...

[TerryKitten]

I have a question for you all. When DS (almost 2) wakes up at night or naps he pulls/plays w/ his ears while crying. I've gone to the doctor a couple times for an ear check and they find nothing wrong w/ them. He only pulls on them at night, not during the day.

Doctor thought it could be teething, but we give him motrin before bed some of the nights we thing hes having issues w/ this teeth, but he still does it.

Any ideas?

 

[Janet Hill]

Maybe it's just a meaningless habit.

 

[pfishgirl]

Sorry but that was my first thought... teething... or an ear infection.. could something like hair or anything be tickling it.. and don't laugh but did he just find his ears recently?? if they are new, he doesn't know what they are for yet..

 

[diznygirl]

My DS was an ear-puller for a long time - and the doc always thought it was related to ear infections, but turns out my son just liked playing with his ears. It was a nervous habit. He went through a period when he was about 4 when we thought his ears would fall off! But he's 6 now and he hasn't done it in a long time.

Could be your son just does it when he's tired at night/nap time for a comfort thing (tho I've often wondered how comforting yanking on your ears can possibly be!!) Maybe try hard to get him attached to a toy or blanket? Nothing worked with my son until he outgrew it. Good luck to you.

 

[minnie56]

Like a 'tired' kind of signal. The ear can feel good...relaxing...when little ones are tired. My nephew used to love you stroking his while he fell asleep? If he still does it when he's 30....then there's baggage!

 

[luvmydogs]

Does he just do it when he's crying upon waking? Could it be some sort of self-comforting behavior?

 

[golfgal]

DS10 did and still does this. He did it when he was getting himself to sleep as a toddler. It was pretty cute. He would sometimes play with my earlobes if he was sitting on my lap when he was tired.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

If ear infection or other problems are ruled out,I'd say it's just a bad habit. DS has gotten into the habit of putting his hands over his ears and bopping his ears lightly with the flat of his palm. I can't figure out why..he's got no infection or any other problem we can see. It's just..wierd. Maybe he'll outgrow it soon?

TOV

 

[JennyMominRI]

I have a question for you all. When DS (almost 2) wakes up at night or naps he pulls/plays w/ his ears while crying. I've gone to the doctor a couple times for an ear check and they find nothing wrong w/ them. He only pulls on them at night, not during the day.

Doctor thought it could be teething, but we give him motrin before bed some of the nights we thing hes having issues w/ this teeth, but he still does it.

Any ideas?

My DS always did this when he was tired

 

[lyeag]

I agree with most of the posters. It sounds like a comfort habit. My daughter used to play with her ears until she found hair twiddling. My son plays with my hair before he falls asleep. Heck, dh has his hand in on my head playing with my hair some nights. Ok, maybe that was just too much information.....

 

[minnie56]

lyeag....with all those hands in your hair you hair must be some mess!!!!

 

[Sparx]

maybe it makes him feel better. Is he playing with his ear lobes or the hard part?

 

[lyeag]

lyeag....with all those hands in your hair you hair must be some mess!!!!

I yell at dh sometimes when I wake up with knots in my hair.

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

My DD's ENT said that she could be doing it because of allergies - he said that your ears can itch just like when some people's eyes become itchy.

 

[kristen821]

My ds used to play with his ears when he was tired too! He also would play with mine at times. It was cute. There ears are so soft that I think they just find comfort in it. If it doesn't happen all the time I wouldn't worry about it because if something hurt he wouldn't just be playing with them when he woke up it would hurt all the time. Is it only one ear that he plays with. Does he sleep on his side? Maybe it could be sore from sleeping on it

 

[the kabuki]

I'll agree with most of the above, it's a "i'm getting sleepy" habit. DD4 twirls her hair, DS8 pulls on his lower lip.

 

[Chereya]

I agree with the other posters as well. Ear fiddling and pulling is a common comfort habit for babies. Remember Prince John from the Disney version of Robin Hood? He was characterized as pulling on his earlobe while he sucked his thumb. I also had a massage therapy instructor who swears by ear massage as a relaxant and also an area of the body which can be used for reflexology - rubbing different parts of the ear help relax their corresponding body part. The ear lobe is supposed to be representative of the head/brain so that rubbing the earlobe is soothing to the mind.

Chereya

 

[TerryKitten]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to hear people say that it may just be comfort. (I don't know why pulling on your ear is comfort, but whatever works)

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

Speaking of weird comfort habits, when my DD was a baby, she used to SLAM her legs up & down in her crib while lying down until she fell asleep. You could hear her downstairs. I forgot to tell my MIL once when she was babysitting and she thought the neighbor was playing the drums until she checked on her! It was really strange but it got her to sleep...she's 3 now and doesn't do it...
Makes ear pulling seem pretty tame!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

DS3.5 has been pulling on his ears since he was a baby. In fact, he has made his ears sooo soft that he can fold them and tuck his earlobs into the ear hole. First time I saw it it freaked the heck out of me, I thought he cut off his ears. Now I ask him to do it because its soo funny. He has realized that when he has his ears tucked in strangers treat him nicer! So if he wants something from someone, he tucks in his ears and just looks really cute to them. They think he is "special" and give him want him wants