Reggio...thank you for having the courage to post such personal experiences...I am so sorry that you had to endure such terrible things as a child. I believe you are right and I thank you for reminding us all that we write on the walls of who these kids are every day....everything we say and do has an effect of some kind and we should all stop and think about this every day and try to do our best to make sure we are having a postive effect. I also have a child in my daycare who likes to put his hands or blanket under him when he sleeps and who also rubs himself against things at times and although it does make me feel uncomfortable, I have never said anything to him about it as I figure it isn't my place and he is just experimenting. I have grappled with it though as I never wanted his parents to think he learned it somehow from daycare! I think that was my main concern! However, i certainly wouldn't want to shame a child for soing what feels good to them...I do believe they do it for this reason and they do not think of it in the same way as adults do at all...to them it is the same as any other thing that gives pleasure or feels good...children don't have the inhibitions adults have.