How to Help Your Child Change Bad Habits

If you have a child that is a habitual nail biter, nose picker, hair puller, knuckle cracker or teeth grinder, he can be downright annoying to be around. Even if his behavior makes you want to pull your hair out, there are better ways to go about coping with it. With some patience and understanding, you can help your child change his bad habits into something more positive.

Things You'll Need

  • Stickers

Instructions

    • 1

      Consider why your child is exhibiting the bad habit. Sometimes these behaviors are soothing and calming, especially for young kids. Sucking on thumbs and body rocking are good examples of this. Boredom, anxiety, stress and tension can also cause your child to participate in some of these activities.

    • 2

      Try to ignore the annoying behavior. If you give the behavior a lot of attention, scold the child, or punish him, it may actually increase the behavior. The good news is your child will usually outgrow these behaviors over time.

    • 3

      Calmly point out that you don̵7;t like the behavior and offer reasons why, if the behavior persists. Your child may not even realize she is doing anything or understand the consequences of her actions. Bring attention to the habit to heighten your child's awareness of it, without scolding.

    • 4

      Use positive reinforcement to encourage good habits. Praise is a very effective means of positive reinforcement. Catch your child being good and show her that you noticed. For instance, when your child̵7;s finger is not in her nose or mouth, say something like, ̶0;I like the way you use your fingers to put the puzzle pieces in place,̶1; or, ̶0;Your finger painting is colorful and fun.̶1;

    • 5

      Offer your child an alternative to her bad habit. Hand a nose picker a tissue when you catch her in the act. Give your thumb sucker a lollipop. Hold out a hairbrush for a hair twirler or puller. If you notice your child is anxious, nervous or stressed, offer her other means of calming her down, like cuddling her, talking to her softly, or distracting her with her favorite toy.

    • 6

      Establish a reward system to reinforce good behavior and self-control. If you catch your child choosing an alternative means of entertainment or a healthy self-soothing technique, offer him a sticker to put on a sticker chart. To be effective, the rewards need to be offered immediately after the behavior. After your child receives a certain amount of stickers, reward him with a bigger prize, like a new little toy or a treat.

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