Nose Picking - Longview,WA

Updated on October 11, 2011
K.B. asks from Longview, WA
6 answers

I have a Granddaughter who is a SENIOR this year, and is still picking her nose and licking her finger!!! This girl is extremely immature for her age and has spent considerable time alone. I have mentioned how gross this habit is to her before, yet after just seeing her for the first time in months, noticed that she was still doing it. She complains about not having friends, and about never even being asked out by a boy, yet, I think I know some of the reasons why. How can a Grandmother talk with her about this nasty habit? She wants to come to our home all the time and hang out with her Cousins, but I think secretly, they may be grossed out by her behavior as well....and they are much younger, Elementary School, Middle School and one of them is in their first year of High School. My heart goes out to this kid, she isn't your typical Senior in High School, she is an only child and VERY immature...Doesn't really take an interest in certain aspects of her dress either, it just doesn't matter to her. We love her dearly. Her Mom is always caring for herself and looks great, and I know her Mom tries with her, but the Granddaughter has spent much more of her growing up time with Dad...any and all comments will be appreciated. My heart is just breaking for her....

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⊱.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Love Momma L's suggestions! I went over to a friend's house in high school; we were both seniors. I was just getting to know her. As I was sitting on her bed in her room talking to her, I looked over and saw a wall full of boogers that she apparently picked at night and stuck on the wall. That was the end of that budding friendship. So these things definitely matter. You sound like a wonderful grandmother to be concerned about such an issue. Good luck!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Oh just tell her, it is gross!
She's old enough.

My daughter who is 8, has had a classmate, since she was in 1st grade, that does this. ALL the kids, know she is 'gross.' AND this girl goes around being very huggy with other kids. She likes to hug. My daughter gets so grossed out! And this girl does not wash her hands.
My daughter has even told her, nicely, that she should wash her hands because she just picked her nose.

Other kids know... and observe things. They 'know' who is a gross kid or not. And yes, it affects socializing.

But geez, doesn't her parents talk with her???
Their child is a SENIOR already.
Its about time... someone talk to her about HYGIENE!

1 mom found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Mechanic mom just made me feel faint....

Can you get a photo or video of her and this nasty habit? Bless her heart.

Maybe have her help you prepare a bunch of jalapenos for shrimp stuffed appetizers. Those fingers will remind her real fast about picking and eating.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
makes 12, prep 30-40 minutes, cook 10 minutes

12 fresh jalapenos, the largest you can find
12 fresh, jumbo sized shrimp, shells off, de-veined
12 oz Monterrey Jack cheese or other soft melting cheese, sliced into 12 sticks
12 strips regular fatty bacon (not center cut or thick sliced)
tooth picks

Prepare your grill for medium heat. Sorry non-grill folks, you can try making these in the oven but they just don’t turn out as nicely.
Wearing gloves, slice the jalapenos lengthwise without breaking all the way through. Make small cuts at the stem and tip so that you can open up the jalapeno without breaking it up too much.
Use a small paring knife or spoon to scrape out all of the inside seeds and membranes. Clean them out really well unless you like a super hot popper.
Insert a stick of cheese into the pepper. Next wedge as much of the shrimp into the jalapeno as possible with the tail end sticking out. Depending on the size of your shrimp and the size of your jalapenos this might be easy or hard. If there is not enough room just get as much of the shrimp in as you can. The bacon wrapping will hold them together.
Wrap the shrimp and jalapeno tightly with a strip of bacon, stretching and overlapping slightly as you go. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Repeat.
Grill poppers until bacon is crisp and browned all over, turning as needed. The bacon fat will melt off and some cheese may melt out so watch for flare-ups.

Now a word of warning about working with hot peppers. Seriously. I have cut many many jalapenos in my life and never really worried about wearing gloves. I didn’t overly handle the seeds or membranes with my fingers and was careful not to touch my nose or eyes, but I did it all bare-handed. That said, I ended the night I made the meal above in the most excruciating pain I have known in recent memory. I don’t know why it was different this time but I will never cut hot peppers again without gloves. Never. For anyone who is wondering I tried everything to make the burning stop: soap, degreaser, lemon juice, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, butter, milk, tums, and Maalox. The only thing that provided even a modicum of relief was holding bags of frozen vegetables in my bare hands and even that was spotty. My hands burned intensely for about 12 hours and then off and on for the next twenty four hours. Never again. I love jalapenos and still do, but I will use gloves from now on when working with them. Thump your nose at my warning if you wish, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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M.R.

answers from Dallas on

OMG MechanicMama!

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Ok...first I read the question, then MechanicMama's lovely description, then the recipe for Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers....now feel like I need to hurl.

Seriously, this is just disturbing on so many levels...'maturity' aside, my 8 year old knows that is disgusting! And he would not want his friends (or anyone for that matter) to see him doing that. at 8, he knows it would be the social kiss of death.
Is there possibly something else going on with your granddaughter that you don't know about? An anxiety issue, a developmental delay....

You know your granddaughter better than anyone here...can you have a heart to heart with her?

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

I think that mentioning the fact that most of us have to pick our noses from time to time will help... But to eat em... BLECH!

Quotes from wikipedia - "Nose-picking is an extremely common habit, with some surveys indicating that it is almost universal, with people picking their nose an average of about four times a day." "A very common habit, nose-picking can or may be used as a body-focused repetitive behavior or obsessive–compulsive disorder, which can become a medical issue called rhinotillexomania." AND *drumrolls*
"Friedrich Bischinger, a lung specialist at Privatklinik Hochrum in Innsbruck,[11] claims that nose-picking combined with nasal mucus eating is beneficial for the immune system." "Booger eating is a common behavior in children occurring from psychological disorders or simply resulting from habit. Some scientists argue that booger eating provides benefits for the human body as well as potential health risks."

GACK!

"104 samples were gathered with 331 identifiable strains of fungi and 9 different species per patient." <--- mushrooms anyone?

Ok. I'm done. Ick.

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