Most young children develop at least one bad habit – often they’re ‘coping strategies’ that help a child to deal with stress, boredom, frustration or tiredness. Most of the time these habits aren’t harmful and they’re outgrown by three to five years of age.

Breaking them can be challenging but the key is to avoid scolding and shouting – this will just make your child more likely to fall back on the habit to help her cope with the resultant stress, It also could suck you into a power struggle where she does it just to get a rise out of you. Try to understand why your child engages in her particular habit you’re your partway to working out how you can break it. Patience, distraction and positive encouragement work wonders…

Thumb sucking

This is common in babies and young children – as many as 90 percent of babies suck their thumbs and it’s considered fairly normal comfort behavior up to age four. At this point it can start to cause problems because it may interfere with the position of your child’s permanent teeth and also interfere with the shape of her palate (roof pf the mouth), which may result in her mispronouncing some letter sounds and developing a lisp.

Tips to break the habit

• If you notice your newborn or young baby sucking her thumb, consider offering him a dummy – it’s an easier habit to break in the toddler years because you can take it away.
• Keep your older baby and toddler’s hands busy with craft projects, puzzles and coloring activities.
• Praise her when she doesn’t suck her thumb – a reward or star chart can encourage her to think twice before she does it. 
• Avoid situations and places that may result in your child becoming stressed if she tends to suck her thumb to relieve anxiety.
• Cover the thumb with a band aid or bandage (especially if she sucks her thumb at night).
• Consider using a bitter-tasting non-toxic coating you can paint on her thumb to put her off (your pediatrician or pharmacist can recommend one). 
• Explain to your older child how her teeth might end up sticking out if she continues to suck her thumb.
• Seek advice if your child gets particularly upset when you try to stop her sucking her thumb, displays other nervous behaviors such as hair pulling, has speech problems or her permanent are growing in crooked because of the habit.
  
  

Teeth grinding

Around a third of children grind their teeth at some time and it’s particularly common in babies who are teething. It usually sounds worse than it is and it’s unlikely to cause any wear and tear to her teeth as they emerge through her gums. Most younger children stop grinding their teeth once they cut through but your child may start doing it again when her permanent teeth start growing in at around age five.

Tips to break the habit

• Give a teething baby a chilled teething ring to chew on.
• Distract your baby her by giving her plenty to do and look at.
• If your child starts teeth grinding again when her permanent teeth are growing in, have the dentist check to ensure the enamel isn’t being worn down and that the tooth grinding isn’t being caused by a jaw misalignment.
• You also should consult the dentist if your child complains of sore jaws or headaches.
• A specially fitted night guard can deter older children from grinding their teeth.
• If your child is grinding her teeth overnight try to ensure her bedtime routine includes a relaxing bath and quiet time to reduce any stress she might be feeling.
  

Head banging

Up to 20 percent of young children head bang  at some time during their first few years, especially boys between the ages of 18 and 24 months, but it usually eases off by around four years. Although it can sound and look as though it is causing injury, most children find the rhythmic sensation comforting and rarely bang their heads hard enough to hurt themselves. It also may occur during tantrums, as attention-seeking behavior.

Tips to break the habit

• Try to ignore it even if is does appear violent. Giving your child attention while he engages in the habit will simply encourage him to continue it.
• Distract him with a toy or a snack.
• Help him work out his sense of rhythm in other ways – for example, play marching games or encourage him to drum on toy bongos or cushions.
• If he does it as he falls asleep, place a ticking clock or metronome in his room to give him a regular, rhythmic sound to focus on as he drifts off.
• If he is still in his cot, hang a piece of foam rubber between the bars and the wall to muffle any noise 
• If he has moved into a bed, move it away from the walls of his room (and Frequently check that the nuts and bolts in his crib or bed aren’t being loosened by the movement as he head bangs.
• If head banging persists after the age of three years, your child bangs his head hard enough to hurt himself, or he is displaying signs of a developmental disorder (for example, not looking you in the eye or losing verbal skills he had gained) consult your pediatrician.
  

Nail biting
This usually is a strategy to help your child cope with stress and your child may start doing it for the first time in the wake of a stressful event in her life, such as becoming a big sister, moving house or starting at preschool. It’s the most likely habit to continue into adolescence and adulthood and can cause problems because it can result in infections and misshapen nails. It also puts your child at risk of illness if her fingers aren’t clean or she has touched a surface that’s contaminated with bacteria.

Tips to break the habit

• Pinpoint what stressors are causing your child to biter her nails and talk to her about them. You may need to help her find the words to express how she feels if she doesn’t yet have the vocabulary to adequately describe her emotions.
• Don’t scold or punish her for doing it – she’s probably unaware that she is. 
• Keep her fingernails trimmed short so that she isn’t tempted to chew off any sharp edges or hangnails.
• Frequently wash her hands to keep them as clean as possible and reduce the number of germs she might be transmitting to her mouth.
• If she bites her nails while watching TV, give her a stress ball or some silly putty to squeeze instead, or turn off the TV and give her things to do that keep her hands busy.
• Cover the tips of her fingers with band aids or use bitter-tasting repellent (ask the pharmacist to recommend one).
  

Nose picking

This is the habit that is most likely to have you climbing the walls since it’s the least socially acceptable! It also can result in nosebleeds and infections if your child’s fingernails are jagged and his hands are dirty.

Tips to break the habit

• Try not to overreact, as your child may well exaggerate the habit just to see you explode.
• Make sure he has access to tissues and help him regularly blow his nose to remove any build up of mucus, especially if he has a cold. 
• Soften hardened mucus by using a bulb suction device to put a few drops of saline solution into your child’s nostrils.
• If your child is picking at his nose because it’s sore inside, gently swab it with a smear of petroleum jelly to ease any irritation.
• Cut your losses by telling your child that if he must pick his nose he shouldn’t do it in public.
  

The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.