Notes
- Many children have habits such as nail biting, thumb sucking, or nose picking.
- Habits usually disappear on their own.
- To help your child stop a habit, gently remind them when they do it and praise them when they don’t.
What are habits?
Habits are behaviors that children repeat over and over again, with little thought. Children’s habits are usually nothing to worry about.
Children’s habits usually involve touching or playing with their face or parts of their body. Children may or may not be aware of their habits.
Some common habits in children include:
- Sucking fingers, thumbs, or pacifiers
- Bitting or picking nails
- Twisting and pulling hair
- Picking noses or wounds
- Picking lips or the inside of cheeks
- Chewing objects such as pencils or clothing
- Grinding teeth.
Why do habits form?
Habits have a calming effect on children. Sucking is a good example. Once a toddler leaves infancy, habits like thumb sucking become a way to relieve stress and anxiety.
Sometimes children develop habits because they are bored, which means the behavior is simply a way for them to entertain themselves. For example, children are more likely to bite their nails while watching TV or doing nothing than when they are restless.
Sometimes habits are formed for practical reasons but persist even after the practical reasons have disappeared. For example, young children who have colds often pick their noses to get rid of them. Children who continue to pick their noses even after they are old enough to blow their noses may have a habit.
You are a role model for your children. If you notice your child picking up a new habit, you may wonder if you have the same habit. For example, nail biting can run in families.
Note: Some toddlers seem to calm down with normal but slightly unusual behaviors, such as rocking, rolling their head, or banging their head. Most children stop this behavior by age 5.
