Nail biting, thumb sucking, and hair twirling. As parents, your
child’s habits may annoy you, but there are ways to help he or she
break their
habits.
"Habits can be an annoyance for some parents and they can even
be a potential problem for some children," says Rochelle Harris, PhD.,
clinical psychologist at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics. "The
habits are only a problem when the child gets older and are approaching
adolescence, not when the child is really young such as preschool or
toddler age."
Parents, who bother their children about their habits
continually, may not achieve positive results.
"The best strategies for parents is simply to prevent the
problem and bring the problem to consciousness. Make sure the child is
aware of the problem," says Harris. "If a boy twirls his hair, cut his
hair short. If your daughter repeatedly bites her nails, cut them
short, this could help deter her from acting upon the habit."
Habits usually occur during a child’s down time. If he is
sitting down watching TV, you need to help him find an alternative
activity for his hands. This should prevent the habit from occurring or
should help solve the habit after it progresses into a habit, says
Harris.
Following are a list of strategies Harris recommends to
breaking
your child’s habits.
- Highlight the day and time when the child repeats the habit. If a
child does the habit at home, concentrate on their downtime at home. If
he does the habit at school, concentrate on school time and address the
issue there.
- Determine what the purpose of the habit is to the child. Is it
soothing? Is it a nervous/tension relieving procedure? Talk about this
with your child to determine why they receive comfort from the
activity.
- Don’t harp on your child’s habit repeatedly. This will have
negative, not positive affects on how the habit is stopped.
- Monitor your child’s behavior. Peak in on them during their
downtime. If they are not acting upon their habit, reward them with a
sticker or positive remarks. Commend them for their progress.
Thumb Sucking:
- If a child sucks his thumb while at school, put a bandage
on his finger and soak it with perfume or cologne. The smell will
remind him and bring to consciousness what they are doing.
While at home, and at night, put a mitt on your child’s hand and put
a koosh ball inside. This will keep her hand busy and provide soothing
relief for her while she is trying to sleep or throughout her
downtime.
Nail Biting:
- Apply scented nail polish to remind the child as she get close
to biting her nails.
- Dip your child’s hand in Tobasco sauce.
Hair Twirling:
- Trim the child’s hair short.
"Remember, there is a fine line between being helpful and being
harmful to your child’s progress," says Harris. "The child needs to
acknowledge they have a
habit, and they need to have the desire to stop the habit. It is always
easier to solve the problem, when you are both on the same
page."
