OBSESSIVELY!!! HELP! I don't know what to do about it. We've tried ignoring it, explaining it's impolite, telling him it's gross, I've even resorted to asking him if he needs a time out. I asked his Dr. if his nose may be irritated, and he was on Singular through the spring, but he doesn't have any other symptoms of allergies. Is this just a phase...will it pass? How do I handle it?
J.,
When my son kept doing this, we would put a thin layer of
bacitracin in his nose with a q-tip 2-3 times a day. It would keep him from going at it, and would eventually bring out all of the dry stuff inside that was making him
want to pick at it. Worked like a charm. I have even done it for myself when the air gets to dry. Good luck.
W.
Sounds normal -- I stopped in 5TH GRADE!! when I remember realizing that people probably were noticing what I thought were my subtle attempts to hide my nose-picking. (My mother never tried to stop me. Can I blame it on her?) I always told my kids (sort of kidding) if they were going to pick their noses they'd better eat it 'cause I didn't want any of their boogers messing up my house. They never did pick their noses.
My kids have told me some nose-picking stories from middle school and even high school! And some kids are completely unapologetic about it. But I wouldn't worry TOO much with a two year old.
Hi J.,
This is old fashioned...you could buy him a few cloth hankies and tell him "These are for dealing with your nose"! Kleenex might work, but I think his own hankies might work better....(Do they still have the monogram kind)?
PS...This is not uncommon...for any age, have you looked at some of your fellow motorists lately? And YES it is GROSS!
For the most part it's just a phase. And HE GETS attention from you when he does it. Mostly explain to him that its dirty or nasty and wash his little hands often when you catch him doing it. He will get over it. He's a baby MAN afterall and that will be the least of his bad habits as he gets older, haha.
I have a 7 year old and a 3 year old that still pick their noses. I see alot of people in their adulthood still picking their nose. It could be a comfort to him to do this. Does he literally pick his nose or does he just like to have his finger in it? I have a sister that wouldn't be able to sleep without one finger up her nose until she was about 6 years old. I wouldn't worry about it as much and I am sure it is just a phase. You may want to have a doctor make sure anything isn't stuck up there like a small toy, marble, or something like that. My nephew at the age of 3 had a bead up his nose for a week before my sister realized it and took him to the doctor to have it taken out. If it's nothing like that, you can try putting hot sauce on his finger and when he burns his nose the 1st time, I doubt he would stick his finger up there again. Hahaha, okay, I am just kidding about the hot sauce. Good luck with you little one and I hope something I said helps you out. Take care. :)~
well, we all pick our nose in some shape or form, let's be honest. the only difference we don't do it in pulic. like the other mom's said, usher him to the bathroom every time and hand him a tissue and tell him to wash up after. he will get tired of that and probably stop. just be consistent and do it every time. eventually, like everything, it is a phase and will stop. but then again...what will the next phase be!
All I can say is be careful...my son has a few irritating habits and I think the more I say about it, the worse it gets. Maybe, just maybe, if you ignore it, it'll go away. I don't know. Better a comfortable boy who picks his nose than a nervous wreck of a boy who picks his nose and feels awful about himself, right?
I can't give any advice, I don't know what to do about my own kids!:)
Kids pretty much just do that. I told my son to use a tissue and that picking one's nose should be done in private. He still tries to sneak in a pick when he thinks I'm not looking, but I do have to say that he was not one of the kids who picked his nose throughout his preschool graduation. At your son's age he probably would have! There were a few kids who did, but thankfully he didn't. I tried not to shame him, but I did let him know that picking his nose was not something to do in public, and (and this is probably not recommended) I let him know that sometimes kids can be mean when they feel sad and that one thing they're often mean about they're a little older is nose picking.
Hi J., Try putting saline spray in his nose in the morning maybe his nose is dry inside and gives him boogers. As an adult it is uncomfortable so I imagine it would be for a little one. You may need to clean his nose good a few times a day.
J.,
I have a 28 month old that is doing the same thing! It must just be the age. I usually just ignore it. When I tell him to please take his finger out of his nose, he just sticks one finger in each side and say "two". I'm starting to think it is more of a control issue since he knows it bothers me. My sister once told him that if he keeps sticking his finger in his nose that it would break. He took it out right away after that. But it hasn't worked for me.
Hopefully it is just a phase that he will grow out of.
Good luck!
The funny thing is that is is actually good for him. I read an article in a magazine about gross facts. One of them was that picking your nose and eating it, lol, actually keeps one healthier. So those who pick and eat get sick less than those who dont, lol. My son loved it. I would not worry about it.
If it truly does bother you that much just make sure to repeat calmly "Child's Name" we don't put our fingers in our nose. Then give them alternatives to the behavior, such as we can put our fingers on the ball, or on our nose, or something of that nature. If his nose does bother him show him how to blow it when it bothers him, or to tell Mommy that it bothers him.
Good luck!
T.
Founder
www.theparentpack.org
Show him how to politely blow and pick his nose with a tissue, then whenever you see him do this hand him a tissue. Beyond that, try to ignore it. As mentioned above, he's getting attention and will keep doing it to get it.
My daughter is 3.5 and has been an obsessive nose-picker for a loooong time. Just wait until your little one finds other orifices....you will long for the days when it was just his nose! :)
...as my sister in law says, "Why did they make nostrils the same size as fingers if noses weren't made to be picked?" (This, in response to her youngest son's obsessive nose picking.)
Totally normal. Don't stress out and try to ignore him. When other kids laugh at him at preschool, he'll stop.
His sinuses might be dry? Does he drink a lot of WATER?
Joan has a good idea. In addition to that I would tell him the truth. Nobody likes to see that. If you have to do that go in the bathroom. Every time he picks in your presence just calmly remind him that you don't want to see that and usher him to the bathroom. He can pick all he wants to. Alone.
