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Kids
Behavior
Why
nose picking happens
Your 2-year-old most likely picks her nose because it's there. She's probably
curious or bored; like other habits, nose picking can relieve stress or pass the
time. Although some people consider it a "nervous habit" — a category that
includes thumb sucking,
nail
biting, hair twisting, and
tooth
grinding — nose picking isn't necessarily a sign that your child is overly
anxious.
The most zealous nose pickers tend to be kids with allergies, because the
heavy flow of mucus and crusting give them a "something's up there" feeling that
makes it difficult to leave their noses alone. Certain environmental conditions
also make kids more likely to pick; if your heating or air-conditioning system
is drying out your toddler's nasal passages, a humidifier (or a saline nasal
spray) may help.
The good news is that unlike nail biting, nose picking is a habit your child
is unlikely to continue into adulthood. Most children eventually give it up on
their own, either because they lose interest or because other kids tease them
enough to make them want to stop.
What to do about nose picking
Bite your tongue. No matter how embarrassed you are by this habit (and of
course you are embarrassed), don't say anything. Nagging or punishing
your toddler when she picks her nose won't help, because she probably doesn't
even realize she's doing it. Techniques such as putting elastic bandages on her
fingers will seem like unjust punishment to a toddler for something so
innocuous. (Once your child decides she wants to break the habit, though, this
technique may help, since it allows her to catch herself in the act.) Plus, as
is often the case with toddlers, pressuring her to stop may trigger a power
struggle. The more she realizes that this behavior gets to you, the more
pleasure she'll take in it.
Keep her fingers occupied. If you can identify times and places when
your child is particularly likely to pick — while watching television, for
example, or in the car — try giving her a substitute (a rubber ball to squeeze,
a fuzzy fake rabbit's foot to stroke, or finger puppets to play with). Teaching
her to blow her nose may also help.
Check things out. If your toddler's exploring her nose so intensely
that she's drawing blood, or if the habit seems to be one of a constellation of
nervous behaviors (she's sucking her thumb, picking her nose until it bleeds,
and having trouble sleeping, for example), you'll probably want to consult
her pediatrician.
Wait and hope. As your toddler gets older and uses her hands for more
complex tasks like building Lego castles and mixing mud pies, chances are her
fingers will stay away from her nose of their own accord. If not, and she keeps
up the nose picking until she goes off to preschool or elementary school, at
some point some other child will say, "Ewww, she's picking her nose," and she'll
suddenly be very motivated to stop. At that point you can work on ending the
habit together with a system of secret reminders. Until then, just keep her
hands busy — and your fingers crossed.
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