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Creatures of Habit
By: Laura Weidenfeld, M.D.

The twitch may just be a childhood glitch waiting to mature.

There you are at your child’s first play. A sense of pride sweeps over you like you’ve never felt before. Your little angel steps to the front of the stage to recite the first words of what you’re sure will be a brilliant acting career. To your dismay what appears is not the lingering echoes of poetry, but an index finger poised deeply inside your young Brando’s left nostril. You cringe with embarrassment. While you may feel you’re the only parent in the world who has experienced something like this, remember that you are not alone. Bad habits such as thumb-sucking, nail-biting, hair-twirling, and yes, nose-picking are quite common.

Despite the prevalence of these habits among young children, their cause remains unknown. It is thought that they are a form of self-soothing due to their repetitive nature. Also, while parents may feel their children are being defiant, usually they are not. Children are frequently unaware of these behaviors and are simply turning to them in times of stress, fatigue or boredom.

Surprisingly, many adults engage in similar behaviors. Have you ever found yourself chewing on the end of a pencil while writing or twirling your hair while deep in thought?

Some self-soothing habits start earlier than others. Thumb-sucking and body-rocking begin in infancy and gradually tend to fade over time. As they get older, most thumb-suckers will suck only at home, mostly at bedtime or when they get upset. As children mature they tend to give up these behaviors on their own or because of peer pressure. Usually if children stop sucking by age 4, there is little if any damage done to their teeth.

Stress is thought to play a role in childhood habits. Open discussions regarding stress in your child’s life may be helpful. If he or she feels pressured and over-scheduled, lighten his commitments. Work together as a family to decrease anxiety and conflict. Believe it or not, the best management of habits is to ignore them. This is usually difficult for parents as they generally find the habit irritating and embarrassing.

However, calling attention to the habit with punishment or ridicule usually serves only to make it worse. The conflict that ensues often increases tension and potentially creates a power struggle. More often than not, habits will go away on their own. There are things you can do to help, but only if your child seems to appreciate your intervention and wishes in some way to stop the behavior.

For example, you might take your daughter for a manicure to inspire her not to bite her nails. Also, using over-the-counter bitter-tasting compounds to remind your child not to suck his thumb may help if you have the child’s cooperation. Positive reinforcement is also an effective way to change behavior. This implies that you will reward desired behavior in some agreed-upon way. It can be useful to create charts and fill them up with sticker stars as your child overcomes his habits. Every time your child passes a certain amount of time habit-free (you decide how long), he gets a star. When the child gets, say 10 stars, he gets a reward. Agree ahead of time on what the reward will be.

An additional technique that works particularly well with young children is distraction. It’s difficult to bite your nails or twirl your hair when your hands are filled with Legos and blocks.

Remember, most habits are harmless and tend to fade over time, so try not to worry. However, if they become pervasive or interfere with daily activities, there may be cause for concern.

Moreover, while individual “motor tics” (i.e. eye-blinking, shoulder-shrugging, throat-clearing or sniffing) are benign, multiple tics may be part of a more serious problem. These situations should be discussed with your pediatrician.

Laura Weidenfeld, M.D.
Sunshine Valley Pediatrics in Summerlin