Kids, like adults, get stuck in the rut of bad habits.  Though they often aren’t the types of habits that are going to lead to anything really detrimental, they can be bothersome and in some cases have negative consequences.   Sometimes those little habits that your child develops like sucking his thumb, picking his nose, etc, will go away on their own if you just ignore them.  However, sometimes parents just want it to stop or it has become too troublesome to ignore anymore.  So, how can you tackling those bad habits and not end up with both of you in tears?

We’ve been lucky so far with Maya (knock on wood).  She didn’t take to a binky so we didn’t have to fight that battle, she doesn’t suck her thumb, and so far hasn’t developed any other bad habits.  But, I know not all parents are quite so lucky, and I know likely, at some point down the road we are going to have to tackle a bad habit or two.  So, what can parents do to help curb these bad habits?

• Be patient and give your child a chance to correct the behavior on their own.  If they aren’t showing any signs of stopping and the behavior is starting to have negative consequences then begin to work on it with them.
• If the behavior doesn’t go away on its own consider ways you can help your child take steps in the right direction towards ending the behavior.
• Give your child something else to do.  Kids often fall back on bad habits for the sensory satisfaction it provides, or in the case of thumb sucking, hair pulling, etc, because they don’t have something else to do with their hands.  Give them something like a puzzle, play dough, a worry stone to play with, yarn to make into bracelets.  Be creative.
• If your child is resorting to these bad habits in times of stress, tension, upset, give them a new outlet for these feelings.  Things like coloring, stretching exercises like yoga, sitting quietly and reading a book or laying down in bed and cuddling a favorite stuffed animal are all good ways to ease upset, angry, or tense feelings.  Get your child involved in decided what the would rather do.
• For older children consider talking to them about the consequences of their actions, like that thumb sucking hurts their teeth, or that hair pulling can lead to bald patches in their hair, or that nose picking can lead to nose bleeds.  Sometimes if they understand the consequences they may opt to stop the behavior on their own.

No matter what the bad habit is be sure to address the action itself and not make the child feel like you are upset with him or her.  Remember that we all have bad habits and it often just takes time, patience and practice to get over them.

If you are worried about your child’s behavior be sure to discuss it with your child’s doctor.