Parents' Guide To Combating The 23 Bad Habits In Kids

 There are so many bad habits which kids learn and grow up with into adulthood. These habits can be dangerous to the children's physical, cognitive, emotional, and social developments. They can become worse if there is no timely intervention measures to eradicate them. When parents, guardians, and caretakers fail to recognize and appropriately address these bad habits early enough, they become teething problems to tackle in future. Many of these bad habits are resilient like hydras such that they follow children into adulthood, old age, and death. The following are the major bad habits in kids:

1. Sucking of thumb

2. Biting of finger nails

3. Licking and biting of lips

4. Nose picking

5. Hail pulling

6. Teeth grinding

7. Touching of private parts

8. Excessive screen time

9. Bad eating habit

10. Lying

11. Using bad words

12. Talking back to parents and others

13. Bad Table Manners

14. Tantrums (uncontrollable anger)

15. Procrastination

16. Complaining

17. Disobedience

18. Bedtime defiance

19. Bullying

20. Refusal to share with others and to show empathy

21. Stealing

22. Dishonesty

23. Lack of responsibility

(1) Sucking of thumbs: 

Most people believe and say that the practice of thumb sucking is associated mostly with children who were bottle-fed than those who were breast-fed. The babies which suck their thumb usually begin the practice immediately after birth till about three years and some months. Some babies suck one thumb, either left or right thumb, while other suck both of them. There are also babies who suck the index fingers only. It is believed that the babies feel very comfortable and secure when sucking their thumbs or their index fingers. With time, the practice which began gradually unnoticed, grows from acorn seed to oak tree. It becomes a huge problem for the child and parents. It has been reported by dentists that thumb-sucking by babies negatively affect the teeth line of the child, thereby causing misaligned teeth arrangement (dentition) and other dental problems. Besides, there are cases where the persistent sucking of thumbs and index fingers leads to the disfigurement of the thumbs or index fingers. It makes the affected thumbs or index fingers to bend and become smaller than the others, thereby causing impairment. 

To proffer solution to this bad habit, the concerned parent(s) should talk to the child if he/ she has reached the age to understand what the bad habit represents in his/ her life. Parent can present an enticing reward to the child to induce him/ her to stop the habit. If the involved child is too small for advice, parent should adopt alternative approach such as the application of harmless bitter liquid contents from bitter leaves to the thumbs or index fingers. This hinders the child from continuing sucking the thumb or index finger. Once the child tastes it, he/ she cannot suck the thumb or index finger again. This development will infuriate the child, and consequently results in ceaseless crying for a long time. If the parent can only bear it and overlook it, the child will get tired and sleep. When he/ she wakes up to discover that the thumb or index finger is still bitter, he/ she will finally surrender the bad habit. But, if the parent shows an unreasonable pity to the child, and thinks that the child may die in an attempt to stop his/ her bad habit, she may wash away the liquid content from the thumb or index finger, and the child will continue in the habit. If the parent endures the weeping of that child and the exercise is repeated for two times, the bad habit of thumb-sucking or index finger sucking will be forgotten. 

2. Finger nail biting:

The habit of finger nail biting is not limited to children alone. It is commonly practised by kids, teenagers, adolescents, and adults. Most people cannot correctly and empirically point to one single cause of finger nail biting. It is reported in some quarters that it is caused by stress and anxiety. In fact, if any bad habit is not corrected at childhood, it will progressively drift to adulthood, and even death. This is because the greatest thing human beings find impossible to conquer is bad habit. It is easier to kill a ferocious lion when it is still a cub. Those people, children and adults, who habitually bite their finger nails do it even when their finger nails are evidently dirty and unfit to go into their mouths. In the process, germs, diseases, and pathogens lurking in the finger nails are transported into the body system. Hence, their bad habits introduce sicknesses into their bodies. They become vulnerable to death! To prevent the bad habit of finger nail biting, parent (s) should talk to the habitual nail biter to desist from it, if he/ she is up to the age of understanding the implications of the habit socially and physically. If it is known to the parent (s) that the cause of the habit is traceable to a particular stressor, then, let that stressor be dealt with and summarily eradicated. If it is known that the habit was not caused by a stressor, then something should be done to the finger nail of the child. For example, nail polish or any other harmless paint could be applied to the nails of the the child . Another solution to it is to trim the nails constantly so that the child will not see any single nail to bite again. 

3. Lip biting, sucking, and licking:

The bad habit of lip biting, sucking, and licking is common both among kids and adults. The causes of this practice are not easy to prove beyond all reasonable doubt. It has been reported that it is caused by teeth misalignment, dry lips, and anxiety. When the lips are dry, children and adults who are habitual to the practice, will begin lip sucking to moisten them. Children also bite lips when they are in a new environment or under stress. Disarrangement of dentition can cause lip sucking and biting. For example, when tooth in the upper jaw protrude or cascade down to the lower jaw, that is when one tooth or two teeth are longer the others, the affected person cannot feel comfortable with it. Thus, he/ she may be subjected to lip licking and biting and sucking with the aim of alleviating the the inconvenience caused by that dental disarrangement. One noticeable impact of lip biting or lip sucking is that it makes the lips to be deep red, rough and bruised. To mitigate this bad habit, any lip balm or petroleum jelly can be applied to the dry and chapped lips if the child is older. Tell the child to drink more water to moisten the dry lips. For younger children, give them candies with little or no sugar in it.

4. Bad table manners: 

What is table manners? Proper table manners are the rules of behaviours and etiquette that govern our conducts while eating with others. Exhibiting proper table manners is essential for making good impression, showing for others while eating together with them. The table manners are:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before sitting down to eat.

2. Provide a napkin on your lap or use it to wipe your mouth and hands before and after eating.

3. Rest your forearms on the edge of the table, but avoid putting your elbows directly on the table surface.

4. Chew your food with your mouth closed so that it does not make any noise or show food in the mouth. Chew slowly and carefully.

5. Do not talk with food in your mouth.  You must swallow food first before talking.

6. Use utencils correctly. Hold fork in your dorminant hand with the tines facing down, and use your knife to cut food.

7. Pass dishes correctly. Pass dishes to the right, and use a serving spoon or fork to serve yourself.

8. Do not burp or make noise. Excuse yourself if you want to burp, and avoid noise while eating.

9. Show appreciation for the meals and company. 

10. Offer to help with clearing the table, washing the dishes, and removal of utensils. 

Additional ones include: 

1. Familiarizing yourself with formal table settings, including placement of utencils, glasses, and plates

2. Wait for the host or hostess to indicate where to sit and when to start eating. 

3. Make conversations short and polite. Avoiding controversial and sensitive topics when eating with people.

4. Show respect for the meal by avoiding criticizing the food and making negative comments about the meal.

Speaking with food in the mouth is a violation of table manners. Burping, stabbing food, and chewing food with opened mouth is not socially acceptable. It is against proper table manners. To mitigate violation of table manners, teach the child or children to emulate the elders, provided that the said elders themselves know and comply with table manners. Teach them not to waste food. Teach them how to chew food slowly, silently, and carefully too.

To be continued...

 

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