The child eats boogers: causes, methods of struggle, advice to parents

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Why do children eat boogers from their noses? What could be the reasons for this behavior of the child? Is it worth letting go? You will find answers to these and other exciting questions in our article. Some human behavior defies explanation by leading scientists. For example, many children put their fingers up their noses and try to put what they have taken into their mouths. This behavior is called goat-eating. Some scientists analyze the behavior of children, they want to find a scientific explanation for their actions. Now we will try to figure it out.

Picking process

Note that picking your nose is an instinctive habit of extracting dried mucus with your fingers. There is no need to scold children for such behavior. When mucus accumulates in the nose and forms a crust that irritates the mucous membrane, sneezing occurs. As a result, the nasal cavity is cleared. A person can free his nose from the interfering "object" and mechanically. Do not consider this a bad habit.

Knowing the world

Why do children eat boogers? Children experience the world in such a unique way. There comes a time when the child beginsthink about the origin of the boogers, their purpose, because they complicate the breathing process. The kid just does not understand yet that the main reason is the dust that has settled on the nasal cavity. If the child likes the taste of boogers, then he will eat them in his free time. It is very unpleasant to watch when an adult takes a booger out of his nose and eats it. Such behavior only causes disgust in others. At the same time, a large number of microbes enter the body of a person who eats boogers. It is harder for an adult to get rid of such a bad habit than for a child.

Should wean?

If a child eats boogers from the nose, is it worth weaning him? According to statistics, almost 91% of people periodically have a finger in their nose. Therefore, there is no need to punish the child for such behavior. Children are more susceptible to various germs, and the immune system is under development, so babies have more mucus. In addition, the physiology of children's sinuses complicates the situation. In children, mucus remains in the nose, it has nowhere to go. This is the main reason for the large number of boogers in the nose of children.

Of course, moderate nose-picking is harmless to he alth. But those around to see this cleaning is not particularly pleasant. Pediatricians advise teaching children to clean their nose alone.

Reasons for bad habits

Why does a baby eat from a booger's nose? As a rule, children simply do not understand where they can be put. Before eating them, they are in a state of indecision for some time, thinking aboutwhat to do with the content. As a result, not finding a more suitable solution, the baby hides “evidence” in his mouth. In medical sources, you can read that if a child eats boogers, then it can be assumed that he lacks attention or that he suffers from an increased activity syndrome. Also, the natural process of cleaning the nose can be a symptom of a serious illness - Smith-Magenis syndrome.

In India, a study was conducted in which more than 200 schoolchildren took part. During it, it became known that almost all of them pick their nose more than four times a day. 20% recognized it as a serious problem that complicates their lives. Along the way, other bad habits were identified among schoolchildren, which also indicate neurological and psychological abnormalities.

Another reason children eat boogers is their taste. Some guys like it. This is what makes children periodically look for new “sweets” in their noses.

There is no exact reason why a child eats boogers. All hypotheses of experts are only assumptions. They cannot be considered indisputable. The only truth is that eating boogers is not the norm and is considered an uncivilized gesture. Of course, you should not constantly scold the child for such behavior. He may begin to move away from his parents, hide his actions in the future. That is, there will be a loss of trust in parents.

Conditions

Is there any harm from the fact that a child eats boogers? Now let's figure it out. I would like to point out the fact that inIn the process of growing up, the child usually forgets about this habit. But if parents cannot calmly wait for this moment, then it is worthwhile for the baby to provide such conditions in which the minimum amount of crusts will appear in the nose. So let's take a look at them:

1. Pay more attention to your baby's he alth.
2. Treat the common cold early.
3. Pay attention to the humidity and temperature in the room where the child is. Dry air causes the mucosa to dry out. This is what causes the boogers to appear.
4. It is advisable to get a humidifier.
5. Wet cleaning should be carried out more often and the room should be ventilated.
6. Good for outdoor walks.
7. It is necessary to cut the child's nails on the handles in time so that he does not violate the integrity of the surface of the mucosa.
8. Distract your child from picking their nose with finger games.

Harm or benefit?

Some experts claim that boogers are a "vaccine" for many ailments. Microbes that accumulate on the mucosa do not enter the body, and when a child eats boogers, it forces the immune system to fight irritants. Thus, the protective functions of the body are activated. Of course, that domestic doctors advise using more traditional methods to increase immunity.

What to do?

The article will describe how to wean a child from eating boogers. It is necessary to explain to the kid that it is indecent to do this. For cleaning usehandkerchief. Physiologists recommend teaching a child to carry out the procedure unnoticed by others.

If a child constantly has a finger in his nose, then you should seek help from a child neurologist or psychologist. Sometimes there are objective reasons for such behavior. It happens that the problem lies in idleness, for example, the child simply has nowhere to put his hands. Sometimes the baby may start picking his nose if he puts a foreign object in there, such as a button. Therefore, it is initially worth checking the nasal cavity for the presence of some small details. If you find them there, then you should urgently go to the doctor. You should not do anything on your own, so as not to harm the baby.

If, after the nose, the child puts his finger in his mouth, then you do not need to focus on this and scold him. Punishment will have a negative impact on the behavior of the child. He will continue to eat boogers, but only when his parents are not around.

Sometimes just a baby is not aware of the nature of boogers, he just automatically puts them in his mouth. Parents should control the child at this moment. He should be told that this muck should not be put in his mouth. You can, to further divert attention, clap your hands. It is desirable that each family member has the same demeanor in a similar situation, so that the baby quickly gets used to the fact that this is not the way to behave. It is very important to properly motivate the child. Otherwise, wean him fromthis habit will be extremely difficult.

How to wean a baby from a bad habit? Methods

You can use different motivations, namely:

1. Ignore his behavior, keep the baby busy with something interesting. It is possible that the reason for picking lies in idleness.
2. Switch the child's attention. If the baby began to eat boogers, then switch his attention to something else (drawing, modeling, etc.). Thus, you will not only solve the problem with a bad habit, but also contribute to the development of fine motor skills and creative thinking.
3. Bitter varnish. There is a special children's varnish with a bitter taste. It will help to wean the baby not only from eating boogers, but also from biting nails, sucking fingers, and so on. Lacquer lasts about three days.
4. Tell about the rules of etiquette. This method is suitable for older children.