"MASTURBATING BY RUBBING PRIVATE AREA ACROSS SURFACES"

"I care for a twenty-month-old who sometimes exhausts me by the intense energy she puts into moving her bottom back and forth across the chair surface. As the description in your FAQ on this subject fits otherwise (flushed, absorbed, dazed, etc.) I am pretty sure she is masturbating. What is beginning to really disturb me is how much other play she may be missing. Today she was doing it outside sitting at the little picnic table instead of running around etc. I have begun to put my hand on her thigh and say stop (with mixed results). I do also try to distract her and get her started on what ever we ae doing - such as eating lunch."

First, I would definitely discuss this with her mother as she might have some suggestions from dealing with this at home. At this age, I would probably NOT tell her to stop as this only calls attention to the issue. During this �terrible two� age, she might start using this as a control issue, and continue it just because she is being told not to. I would just try some very exciting distraction. Get her up from the table and play of game of chase, bounce, throw, etc; just use anything not sitting down. And remember, like I say in the other section; don�t make a big deal about this.