nose picking

At first I tried to ignore it, but it just seemed like dd2 had her finger in her nose all the time. And then she would suck on her finger. Finally, I sat down with her and told her that I think it is really yucky, explained about how the nose is supposed to catch germs so they don't go into us and make us sick, and by picking her nose and eating it she is putting the germs right into her body. I also explained that other people think it is yucky too and I didn't want her to get teased at school.

She still does it, but less. She said she doesn't do it at school. When I see her doing it now, I'll shake my head and then ask her to please do it where I can't see it because it is yucky.
I don't know if this is the right approach (time will tell) but it seems to be improving.

I offer him a tissue. When I see he's either doing it or going to, I ask if he needs a tissue and 9 times out of 10, he'll say yes and then he'll wipe his nose. If I see it's still bugging him, I'll offer to help.

I was going to post on this myself....

DS is not interested in tissues or hankies--he says they don't work as well (I can't argue with that) and he is in too much of a hurry. He seems to have itchy or dry problems with his nose, not just picking boogers. His fingers are in his nose a LOT, despite explanations abotu germs and getting sick and such.

I proposed that I could say "Nose" when I notice him doing it, because the first step in breaking a habit is becoming aware of it. I told him I won't harass him to stop, only remind him he's doign it, for now. He seems fine with this--it's like a game. Heaven forbid we get into a power struggle over it.

I would like to help with whatever his nose problem is, why it's bugging him--any suggestions welcome, and I will watch this thread.

I say to my 4 year old, "Cute and cuddly," which is our code term, and he is, in theory supposed to either go to the bathroom to finish, or stop.

In reality, he picks his nose all the time and it irritates the crap out of me. I just am biding my time and washing a bunch of hands until he stops. In my experience, all irritating behavior ebbs eventually.

My 3 yo old was picking her nose ALL the time, so much in fact that she would get bloody noses. I would offer her a tissue and it wasn't working either. Well, it had been very dry here (we went a few months without rain) and we had static electricity all over the place so I put humidifiers in our bedrooms and now she's hardly picking. Maybe that would help your ds.

We are all pickers, so I don't make a big deal out of it. Dd is only 2.5, but she seems to already be learning that it's something that should be done in private.

Here's another interesting take on it...

http://in.news.yahoo.com/040411/139/2ci0w.html

My 3 year old is a nose picker, too. It has been much worse lately. I've tried handing him a tissue and telling him about germs, but he says he wants to "pick the boogies and eat them". The worst part for me is that he doesn't like to wash his hands often. I've gotten wet ones and now I give him a choice- wash or wipe- when I see him picking.

Ah yes...the wonderful world of nose picking! ICK!! My 3 yr old does it too. At her preschool they make them wash their hands immediately which puts a halt to the picking. I will give my daughter a tissue. My big thing is EATING the boogers! That's what grosses me out. I sing "pick pick pick" to her. That way she knows I see her. Here in NH in the winter the boogers definitely can build up. But eating them is something else all together! I've had the discussion about germs and the nose catching all the gross cooties and then she's just eating them. But to no avail. She usually just hides under her blankie to pick & eat because she knows I don't like it. Otherwise if there's no place to hide, she will take the tissue for the boogies.

It's a phase. I don't ignore it but I don't make a huge issue out of it. I just remind her everytime it's gross and hand her a tissue.

my 4 year old is known to indulge in this habit. Some months ago my beloved midwife was coming over to check on my newborn and she was bringing her wonderful 5 year old dd (I asked her to bring her dd so my dd and hers could play for a bit). I asked my dd ahead of time to please not pick her nose (didn't want to be embarrased in front of my midwife). But of course she did. I just asked her to get a kleenex, didn't make a big deal, but was definitely embarrased. A short time later her little dd did the same thing. My midwife said,

"They could start a club. Girls who are going to stop picking their noses".

It just totally broke my tension about the matter and was just so funny! And come to think about it, I haven't seen my dd do it for quite awhile.

~Tracy