Top 7 bad habits in children and how to avoid them

Break-the-bad-habits-in-children A habit in children is a repeated action that the child performs without being aware of them. There is nothing to worry about these habits in children. Most common habits found in children are, picking of the nose, sucking of the thumb, pulling of hair, chewing objects or lip sucking.

Causes of bad habits

There can be different reasons for developing these habits.
These habits can be comforting to the child like thumb sucking.
Some habits are done to entertain the child or when they are nervous.
Some practical reasons also lead to formation of habits like a child suffering from cold may continue picking their nose.
Children pick up some habits from the adults like the habit of nail biting may come from the father who also has this habit since ages.

Seven Common Bad habits

Parents normally scold or punish the child on perceiving bad habits. This makes the child stubborn and makes him feel more miserable and discouraged. Most of the childhood habits are harmless and go away on their own.

Nose picking – The habit of nose picking is commonly found in most children at the age of 4 or 5. The child removes the contents of the nose with his fingers and wipes it at places or even eats it. It is not an acceptable behavior. It can also lead to bleeding,sores and infectioninside thenose. The infection from the nose can also reach the eyes if the child rubs his eyes immediately after picking his nose. Sometimes toddlers and school going kids continue this action to attract attention of the parents and enjoy in provoking the parents.
Hair Pulling Children below the age of five get into the habit of pulling or twisting the hair along with sucking the thumb. Most of the time this habit disappears when they stop sucking the thumb. There is another type of hair pulling habit found in older children. At this age some children pull their hair causing severe problems like bald patches. The best method to prevent this habit is to have the hair cut short. This may be caused by some depression in the child which can be removed by professional counselling.
Masturbation—Parents need to understand that children touch their genitals to learn about them and then they find pleasure in doing so. Thus the habit of masturbation in children is a source of discovery and play for children around the age of four years. Parents should not take it as a bad habit and not worry about this behavior.There is no danger to the health of the child with this action. They must teach the child to do so in privacy.
Nail Biting is a habit found in children above 10 years and is found to be more common in boys than girls. Nail biting is a noted in kids when they are engrossed in an activity like watching the TV or in kids who are nervous. This habit also develops when the skin around the nails is rough and dry. Nail biting can develop infection around the cuticles andalso break small pieces from the teeth.
Thumb Sucking is a normal and harmless habit in kids below the age of four. It gives them satisfaction and they feel secure. After the age of five years if the habit is persists, the child must be involved in an activity that requires both the hands.
Teeth Grinding- Some children grind their teeth till the temporary teeth are replaced by the permanent teeth. This habit is said to be caused by nervousness and anxiety in the child’s mind.Teeth grinding may loosen the teeth or develop a painful jaw.
Biting and hitting—somechildren try to express their feelings of anger and frustration by biting or hitting. They may also do so to attract attention. This action must be handled with patience by the parents.

Tips for breaking bad habits

Ignoring the bad habits results in the habit dying out soonthe child may also outgrow the habit in some time.
Praising and Rewarding – Encouraging the good habits in children is a good way to make the child avoid bad habits.
Educating the child about the negative results of the bad habit is a good way to break the habit.
One at A Time—When a child develops more than one bad habit at a time , it is wise to try to eliminate a single bad habit at a time with patience instead of handling all of them together.
Search the Root Cause—the root cause of most bad habits is stress and depression. The child must be shown love and affection to handle certain situations.
Setting Rules—the child must be made to follow some rules. One must be firm and consistent in handling the child to keep a check on the child’s bad habit.
Boosting Morale—the child develops emotional stability when supported with love and patience. Have faith in the child and give him an opportunity to make decisions.