Should I Be Worried? Understanding Tics in Kids. Know what to do about tics and what not to do about tics and discern if your child might have Tourette Syndrome.


by anonymous guest blogger

Little kids do strange things. I'm not saying that to mean, I'm just being honest. Have you ever watched a group of toddlers or preschoolers? Someone is pulling their shirt up, someone is taking their shoe on and off. Someone else is moving their hands around in a silly fashion. It's normal. They are still exploring social norms and what their bodies can do. Oh, and they are little kids who have a ton of energy. Of course they are wiggly! But when do those blinks and twitches turn problematic? How do you know if something more is going on?

What is a tic?

The first thing to do is determine if in fact your child has tics. So what is a tic? A tic is defined as 'repeated, sudden, rapid, nonrhythmic muscle movements including sounds or vocalizations.' (Source: Merk Manual) Tics are things like blinking repeatedly or in an exaggerated manner, neck stretching, jaw clenching, sniffings, and grimacing. They are not limited to things like this though. Hand movements, shoulder shrugging, and body movements can be tics. These are called motor tics. There are vocal tics as well, which include throat clearing, humming, and coughing. So basically tics are things kids do on a regular basis. They can change and shift, with one going away and a new starting. What moves it from just a behavior kids do to something that needs to be addressed? It comes down to how much the tic is impacting your child's life and the lives of those around them. Is the movement causing problems in school? Is it causing a disruption to your child's social life? Or is it just bothering you or your child enough that you want to do something about it? Then it is a tic that should be looked at more closely.

Are they voluntary? Can I just tell my child to stop?

Tics are not voluntary. But they aren't considered exactly involuntary either. It is possible to repress the action for a time, just like you can hold in a cough for a few minutes if need be. But they can't be held off forever, and it can cause distress and discomfort for little ones to try to not do them. Telling children to just stop isn't really the most helpful thing to do, especially because children might not always realize they are doing it. Gentle reminders to be aware of the behavior can be helpful as kids get older.

How common are tics?

Just how common are these tics? As I said a lot of them can seem like just the normal wiggles and movements of childhood. Tics actually occur in about 15% of children, so they are not completely uncommon. They are usually transient, meaning it is something a child does for a couple of months or so and then stops doing. But for some, they do last longer. Males are affected about three to four times more than females.

Do tics go away?

In about three-quarters of cases, tics do fade by adulthood. They often appear in children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. They tend to increase in severity up to about 10-12 years old, then decrease into adulthood. So the good news is most children who experience tics do seem to grow out of them or at least learn how to handle them effectively. The bad news is that they can peak around adolescence, which is a tough time socially for most people, let alone those who have something 'different' about them.

Does this mean my child has Tourette Syndrome?

Tics are considered a spectrum disorder. This means there is a sliding scale of severity. Tourettes is defined by having two or more motor tics and at least one vocal tic at the same time for a year or longer. Tourettes does not mean that your child will start shouting profanities all the time. That is a very rare presentation of the disease that movies have sadly played up for comedic effect. Current data shows that about 6 in 1000 children in the US have Tourette's specifically.

Why do these tics happen?

Like a lot of neurological conditions, we don't know exactly why tics happen. It has been seen to run in families, so we know a genetic component exists. And stress can sometimes exacerbate them and make them more apparent. But there is nothing that you did as a parent to make this happen. They are one of those things in life that just are. Tics can be more apparent in stressful situations. This makes sense as when we get stressed we feel it in our bodies. But, tics can also be seen more when your child is relaxed. When your child is at ease and not really aware of what they are doing they may not be focusing on suppressing the tics, making them more apparent. Either way though, the actual root of the tics is not anyone's fault.

What do I do if I think my child has tics?

The first thing to do is observe. How frequently is your child doing the behavior you are concerned about? Are the tics disrupting your child's daily life? I would also ask a trusted friend or family member if they have observed any behaviors of concern. Sometimes as a parent I fixate on something and therefore notice it all the time, while other people don't even know what I'm talking about. Tak to your child's teachers and find out if the tics are causing a disruption to your child's social life. Yes, that sounds a bit shallow. But social interactions are a part of daily life, and we all know other children are not always nice to someone that has something different about them. If a tic is keeping your child from having friends that is something to consider. If you think the tics are something to look into further, go see your pediatrician. They should be able to help determine if this is something that needs further diagnosis. If they have concerns they may refer you to a neurologist for diagnosis and treatment options.

Are there treatments for tic disorders?

There is no one pill that is going to make the tics stop. But there are options of treatments. Behavior therapies and speech therapies are non-invasive and can be a good fit for children. There are some medications that can help suppress tics, and a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation exists. And it is important to remember that many children do grow out of this condition.

So what can I do for my child?

The first thing to do is to not freak out. Young children might not even realize what is happening, so drawing a lot of attention to the behavior can be confusing and even make it worse. If you have an older child who knows that they are somehow different than others, make sure you let them know this isn't their fault. They aren't a freak or doing something wrong. Let them know you understand that they can't control what is happening.

Continue a healthy lifestyle. No, eating a certain food or getting a certain amount of exercise isn't going to take your child's tics away. But they can be worse when a child is stressed or has other underlying health issues. It never hurts to promote a healthy lifestyle. Ask your child how they want help. Older children might want reminders top try to stop a tic, or they just might need someone to bring it to their attention. Decide on a method together so that you can draw your child's attention to it without making it a big deal. For preschool age kids this can work too.

Reminding a child that we use resting hands or to relax their muscles can be a good hint to them to be aware of their bodies. Talk to your children's teachers or caregivers. Tics don't have to be a big to-do. In fact, it is better if teachers don't draw attention to them in a classroom setting. That can just make them a bigger distraction. But it is a good idea to let those who are responsible for your child know what is going on. This way they will know that your child isn't acting out intentionally or just trying to be a troublemaker in class. These caregivers can also help give any cues to be aware of the tics to your child as well.

The good news

Hearing that your child has tics or Tourettes can be scary. They are an unknown and anything that we can't control can be stressful. The good news about these involuntary movements is that they have a lot of choices in how to handle them. Most people who experience this lead totally normal lives. In fact, you might even know someone with a tic disorder, you just never noticed. Talk to your doctor, observe your child, and be supportive. Your child is wonderful, tics and all.  

Resources

• Tourette Association of America 
• Tics Are for Kids- Psychology Today 
• Tics and Tourette Syndrome- Family Doctor.org 
• Taking Charge of Tics and Tourette's- Worrywisekids.org

This is a summary for Brinley from 5 years 9 months to 5 years 10 months old. 

A highly underutilized tool in parenting is the simple timer. The timer can help you with discipline, teaching manners, chores, reading minutes, independent playtime implementation, and tracking video game or television time. Basically any time your child doesn't want to do something or wants to do something too much, the timer is your friend. Here are my favorite ways to use the timer  (affiliate link) to make parenting a little easier.

Time Out

Whining

Chores

Technology

Reading Time 

Practice Time

10 Minute Cleaning

Couch Time

Quiet Practice

Conclusion

Related Posts on this Blog:

• The Timer

by Kimberly Cartwright

How does music work? Okay, that is a broad question. Music is a very personal experience. Let's focus in on how we physically hear music. How does pushing a key on a piano translate to what we hear as a musical note? The science of sound comes down to one main thing: sound waves. Simple waves can produce that beauty that is a symphony. But let's not try for that right now. Let's keep it simple. Grab some glasses of water and let's explore the science of music.

A Bit About Waves

Sound Waves

We hear sound because of waves. Waves happen when something vibrates. In a piano this is when you push on a piano key. Pushing on the key causes a hammer inside the piano to strike a specific string that is tuned to make that particular note. The string vibrates. This vibration creates a wave that travels to our ears. Our eardrums then vibrate and our brain translates that into sound. (This is a simplified explanation, but it works for our purposes.) Waves need a medium to move through, and in this case it is the molecules in the air. No medium, no sound. Space is a vacuum and has nothing to carry waves. (This is why in space no one can hear you scream.)

Wave Properties

Waves are characterized by two main properties, frequency and amplitude. Amplitude is the size of the wave and this impacts volume. (This is why we have amplifiers.) The larger the wave the louder the sound. The frequency is the speed of the wave and this impacts the pitch. The faster a vibration the higher the pitch we hear. There is an easy way to think about this. Picture two cymbals, one really huge and one really small. If you hit the small one it will vibrate very quickly, creating a high pitch sound. It is also smaller and has smaller vibrations, meaning the sound will be quieter. The large cymbal will have slower vibrations and create a deeper sound. It also has larger waves since it is so much bigger, and is naturally louder than the small cymbal.

Making Waves

One challenge of sound waves is that we can't readily see them. Fortunately they work in a similar manner as water waves. So we are going to get some water and use to explore sound waves.

You Need

1. Glasses
2. Water
3. Spoon

To Do

This is a very basic activity, but you can take it to higher levels based off of your child's interest and ability. Fill a few glasses of water with varying levels of water, then let your child tap on the glasses with the spoon. Listen to the sounds. If you watch carefully you can see the water vibrating gently. This is the wave that mimics the one that produces the sound.

What's Going On

How are these sounds being made? When you tap the glass it creates a vibration. The water provides a medium, besides the glass itself, to relay the sound. It also slows down the wave. More water means a slower wave. Slower waves mean deeper sounds, so the glass with the most water will create the deepest sound.

For Younger Children

Younger children, if they are anything like mine, are pretty pumped to just get to hit glasses with spoons. So having just a few glasses making distinct sounds is plenty. We used one glass that was almost completely full, one that was halfway full, and one that was almost empty. First we tapped each glass one at a time and talked about the sounds. I found this was a good time to introduce the idea of high pitches and low pitches. Don't worry, this isn't hard and you don't have to be super musically inclined to talk about these ideas. I had Ben make a squeaky voice and talk as high as he could, and this is a high pitch. Then we talked in low voices and tried to sound like Daddy. These were the low pitches. Let your kids tap out rhythms and try making a little song!

For Older Kids

This is a super simple activity, but you can challenge your older children.

More Glasses

Add in more glasses with different levels of water to create more sounds. How many distinct sounds can you hear?

Different Shaped glasses

Does the shape of a glass impact the sound? Try short and tall glasses. Do wine glasses create different pitches as opposed to drinking glasses?

Match Pitches

If you have a piano, or other tuned instrument available, challenge your child to match a note. Can they get the level in the water to match a note on the piano? This takes a careful ear and a lot of patience. Can your child match more than one note? Finally, can they recreate a simple song? This can get as complicated as your child wants.

Conclusion

This activity is perfect for a simple introduction to sound waves and some basics of music. It is also one that older children with a real interest in music and the math behind it can use to explore deeper. What will your child discover?      

Additional Resources

There is so much going on in even the simplest of notes. Here are some additional resources if your child is interested in learning more. Why do some chords sound good, but others do not? Learn about the math behind frequencies. The secret to making a chord sound good lies in how the waves interact. Where Math Meets Music How do pianos work? Pianos are a great instrument to open up and see the vibrations in action if you are willing to let your kids play around with a very expensive instrument of course. Learn more about how pianos work. How Pianos Work How do scales and chords actually work? Learn in detail how chords work, why scales progress the way they do, and how harmony comes together. How Music Works  

More Science!

Looking for more science with your kids? Try these fun activities: 3 Easy Science Activities to Teach Kids How Colors Work Science by the Pool: Easy Summer STEM Activities 5 Simple Sensory STEM Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers   Kim is the mom of a 4-year-old son and 2-year-old twin daughters. She is a STEM advocate and blogs at Team-Cartwright.com. Follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Related Post on this Blog:

• How I Do It: Learning Time

The Difficulties of Healthy Snacks

Cost

Convenience

Why I Believe Healthy Snacks Are So Important

Healthy Snack Ideas

Fruit
Affiliate links below

• Fruit Kabobs: use fresh fruit and string them on a kabob skewer (I like to use fresh fruit and then freeze it!). These are great frozen as a popsicle substitution and can be made festive with strawberries, blueberries, and banana for patriotic holidays.
• Frozen Fruit: Frozen fruit can be expensive, but bananas aren't! My son loves frozen bananas witha dallop of peanut butter on it.
• Banana Ice-Cream: This one is great for staying on budget! Just slice up ripe bananas and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, pop them in the blender and boom! Banana ice cream. For flavor variation, you can add whatever you want. I don't personally love banana flavored things, but I like this with strawberries added, or nut butter and cocoa powder. YUM.
• Fruit Popsicles: there are tons of recipes out there for homemade popsicles. I, personally, have never really followed a recipe, but I'm fairly creative in that department. I just blend up whatever fruit I want to use, and add some yogurt or nondairy milk. Strawberries with yogurt and coconut milk is a huge hit! Add a bit of honey if you need some sweetener. You can also just freeze fruit juice. I remember my mom filling popsicle molds with orange juice when I was a child and thinking it was the best ever. Link to popsicle mold and mini popsicle mold.

Vegetables

• Sliced Vegetables: Baby carrots, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, etc. I give my children a vegetable with lunch When I was getting them accustomed to this, I sliced baby carrots super thin. This way, if they were tossed on the floor and wasted, it wasn't a huge loss. I also think that children are more likely to eat something they're unsure of if it's a smaller portion.
• Vegetable Dip: I haven't had a good experience with dip for children under 3. They just use the vegetable as a utensil and only eat the dip. I suggest sticking with plain vegetables and using dip or dressing only if they won't eat them plain after several tries. However, I do sometimes give my 4-year old hummus. Tip: Check to make sure the hummus doesn't contain added sugar.
• Celery Boats: Celery with peanut butter and raisins. Personally, I think this is a weird combo, but my kids go nuts for them!
• Green smoothies: OK, this isn't so much of a snack as just a great way to get your kiddos to get more greens. Blend up about 1.5 cups unsweetened liquid (milk, water, juice), 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit and a few handfuls of greens. I think spinach is the best green to use because you can't taste it at all when it's blended up.

• Self-serve: My kids feel like big kids if I have the bag of carrots out at the table while we eat lunch.
• Experiment with different styles and sizes. My two-year-olds prefer their cucumber peeled. My 4-year-old prefers chunky baby carrots and the two-year-olds like them cut in half. You could also try serving them on toothpicks!
• Eat them in front of your kids: I usually eat lunch while my children are napping. I realized that it's important for them to see me eating foods that aren't necessarily their favorite, so sometimes for lunch, I'll make a big plate of sliced vegetables (peppers, carrots, cucumber) and sit at the table with them and munch on them. My kids usually keep asking for more and I'll bring the plate to them and let them serve themselves.
• Val has posted about using a vegetable tray and I think that's perfect. I will definitely utilize one when my kids are a bit older!

Dairy and Baked Goods, Protein, Etc.

• Frozen Yogurt: I buy plain, unsweetened yogurt. As a 'treat' I will sweeten it with fruit or honey (sometimes even a spoonful of jelly) and then freeze it. It's harder than ice cream because it doesn't have softeners in it, but let it sit out for a few minutes and you're good to go.
• Blender muffins: Check out my post here for our favorite blender muffins. They are absolutely delicious and have NO flour, oil, or sugar, AT ALL. They're basically magic. Did I mention they're super easy to make?
• Trail Mix: Some nuts and raisins! Boom! Trail mix. Much more filling than store-bought granola bars, and without all the added sugar and preservatives.
• Hard-boiled eggs: My children aren't a fan of hard-boiled eggs, but I know many other children that enjoy them. If your children do, make a big batch at the beginning of the week and you're good to go.

Healthy Snack Conclusion

McKenna is a hugger. She loves to get in there with a big, full hug that takes your breath away. Bonus points if she can lift you off the ground and really squeeze all of that air out. Brayden is not a hugger. Even as a baby, he did not love to be cuddled or hugged. Bonus points if you hug is a brief side hug.

Our Family Hugging Rule

Decide to Adopt