I honestly don't know how they do it. How do they figure this ‘finger in the nose in one try’ out? Is it as evolutionary as walking or using the toilet? I'm not sure.
My daughter is developing her motor skills very quickly at her 14 months of life. She can try her best to put a straw in a cup lid, it takes some time with the coordination thing but she eventually figures it out after a few attempts. That’s why this bewilders me.
When it comes to her nose, she can put that finger in there fast. Like a Tiger Woods “hole in one!” She can even stare directly at you and not even look at the finger, and it just goes right in there. It’s disgusting, yet fascinating watching this phenomenon.
Right now I’m just trying to get her to stop doing this. And she knows it too. I can be across the room and she’ll yell “Dadadada!” and then when I look she’ll shove the finger in the nose. I know when it’s about to happen too, (it all happens in slow motion) it’s like she ‘stops’, and then sticks the finger up then all you see is a motion blur. By the time you know what’s going on, she already in Oregon.
I seriously don’t want my daughter to be that “kid” who picks their nose. I remember a few kids in elementary school who had nose fetishes and as adults I can guarantee they’re probably still enjoying a good harvest in the car. I remember never wanting to play with these kids because I would always imagine “crusty’s” dried on their toys. I'm sure others felt the same way too.
I don’t want that. No parent does.
9 comments:
Dude. Gross.
No, my oldest (4.5) went through this phase and I'll see it soon I'm sure with the toddler.
Distraction was the key with the first kid. When we'd see it, we'd get him involved in something that required BOTH hands ... building blocks, etc. The only problem is you've gotta be eagle-eye dad. And that's a pain in the ass.
It'll pass. I hope. :)
I know you read my post about the nose whistle thing with my husband, and how I have serious issues with people's noses. That being said, I have one child that was a nose picker. He doesn't do it anymore (at least not around me), but I used to think I was going to throw up when I saw him doing it. I have no idea why he stopped...maybe because he went to school and saw that other kids did not behave that way. Who knows, I'm just glad he stopped! I am ok with it in little kids, but at a certain age (I think around 4?) it totally disgusts me and makes me want to vomit.
I hear snot is full of protein though, so it can't be that bad, huh? :)
What I do sometimes when my son does something undesirable is video tape him and then show him later. This is not to shame him, but to simply show him while saying very little. I'll tend to do this when he gets really fussy so that he can see what he looks like, you know... just so he knows. Not sure if this would work with pickin', but hey, maybe it's worth a try.
Or I wonder if there is a book out there entitled, "Elmo Hates Nose Pickers" or something like that. There is something for everything usually... potty training, brushing teeth, having a second baby, moving to a big bed....
My father was to enchanted by the lovely words of wisdom, "you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you cant pick your friends nose . . ." to ever give me any real guidance.
Funny you mention that. When we were at the 18 month appt this summer, the doctor said the kids should know some of their body parts (which they didn't). Nanny A. and I right away began teaching Blossom "Donde esta tu nariz?" which is "Where is your nose" in Spanish. The Blossom would respond by sticking her finger IN her nose! Now she mashes the whole nose with her fist but the finger-in-the-nose went on for quite awhile.
I must say that after reading your post, I went for those 2-day old brownies...
Not that your post made me hungry, but with two kids already past the nose-picking, other body parts-sniffiing stage, your post failed to make me not hungry. :)
Good Luck with this one!
I think you have some time before you need to worry about her going off to school with digit firmly lodged in brainpan!
It takes a while to socialize the little beasties, doesn't it? Ours seems to have gone completely feral over the past week.
"Elmo Hates Nose Pickers"
LOL!
sorry, I got distracted...
I'm totally all for the "Elmo Hates Nose Pickers" idea!
dennis-- "body sniffing stage?" I don't like the sound of that one--
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