How to Get Kids to Stop Eating Their Snot
If you have ever been around children for a while, you must have asked yourself: why, why on earth does a person eat the inside of his disgusting nose? The simplest answer is: children are disgusting and do disgusting things. More precisely, from the words of a familiar child (I will never say who): “I eat them when I’m hungry, and because they are tasty.”
As funny as it may seem to adults, the fact remains that most children have snacked on a booger or two. First, let’s touch on the reasons, and then we will tell you how to curb this habit.
Why do children eat boogers?
There are several reasons why children develop this nefarious habit, besides the aforementioned fake “hunger”. First, being curious, tactile creatures who learn by watching others, they want to try what they see other children do. (And many children do.) Secondly, they are not the most hygienic or hydrated creatures, and they often play outside where dirt lives. All of these conditions make dry, crusty manure most easily removed with a finger. Once they’re out – again, hygiene isn’t their forte – instead of interrupting a high-stakes game of red-light-green-light or an episode of Ninjago to find a napkin, they eat it simply because it’s effective. There is no easier place to drop the evidence than to go down the hatch.
Some children may choose to eat to cope with nervousness or anxiety. Others may eat them simply because they are salty and crunchy, as Romper described, “like Cheetos that spice up your nose. They are also really affordable .”
The matter is complicated by the fact that ingestion of bacteria and pathogens with mucus can be beneficial for them and their immune system . Thank you very much science. So while you don’t have to worry too much about negative health effects, you probably don’t want little Joey to be the kid everyone still remembers, 30 years later, as the kid who secretly ate his snot in elementary school.
How can you make them stop
Unfortunately, the truth is that if you don’t enforce harsh punishment (which we don’t recommend), getting kids to quit the habit will be a process, not a quick fix. Here are some tips.
Determine why they are doing it: Depending on your child’s age, the childish responses offered in this conversation may not go deeper than “Because!” If they’re older, try to pinpoint times, feelings, or actions that might motivate them to do it more often.
Explain the physical reasons why they shouldn’t: once they can figure it out, tell them why it’s not a good idea. (While the immune system may have some benefits, the three-time mother in me says now is the perfect time to lie and blame the all-encompassing vileness of “germs”.) Let them know they can get nosebleeds or painful sores. from too many choices.
Keep tissues everywhere: In an attempt to curb the habit, keep all tissues nearby. Put a box in each room and show the child to them so that he does not plead ignorance. Put tissues in their pockets; keep paper napkins in your purse, in your car, on your desk, everywhere, ready to be handed out at a moment’s notice.
Salt drops and humidifiers: These two sucker softeners are your friends. The fewer hard boogers stuck in their nasal passages, the less likely they are to go digging for gold.
Give their nerves another outlet: If you notice that the child has a nervous habit of picking and eating, give his hands something else to do. Invest in a handful of Pop-it toys or a bag of toys that they can manipulate while watching TV or entering a new social situation.