ds strange habbit.

looby75

RoCas wrote: »

Looby, have you tried asking him whether anything has happened recently to start off this habit. Maybe something relevant scared him? Is he at school ... maybe others in his class do the same thing?

All I can get out of him when I ask him why he does it is that his nails feel funny and dry, he seems pretty happy and settled at school there was a parents evening at school just before the holidays and the teachers say they are happy with him and he's a pleasure to teach, he has started having tantrums at home lately but I put that down to him attention seeking a bit. He used to get a lot of my undivided attention when he was ill but now he's better I've been encouraging him to be a bit more independent and not as clingy to me.

bigpaws23

It sounds like a habit - either a nervous one or an experimenting-to-see-what-happens one.

My dd started chewing her clothes like a puppy when she started school.

Now she is in year two, the clothes chewing has stopped, but now she blows warm air on her hands. it drives me crazy but I believe it is a comfort thing, as she doesn't do it when she has been off school for a couple of days.

She sometimes complains that he feet or hands feel really dry and starts dipping them in her cup of water LOL!

I think you just have to point out to ds, that it's ok to chew his fingers / toes, but he needs to be more vigilant with washing his hands so that he doesn't get worms or bugs.

Will he eat garlic in foods? Garlic can help fight off things and support the immune system. You might consider getting a child's supplement of echinacea too for a short period of time. And also a cream with neem oil or tea tree oil in it to put on the things he loves to chew!

Try not to worry too much about his health, because you will pass on your anxieties to him. Maybe he is chewing his finger and toes to get some dirt to build up his immunity - who knows? Just like babies are attracted to grubbing around in the dirt.

Oh, if your ds likes honey, then splash out on some manuka honey - it's another way of getting something beneficial into him that will support him and perhaps a course of acidophilus until he moves onto the next habit! :rolleyes:

Bigpaws x

bigpaws23

looby75 wrote: »

he has started having tantrums at home lately but I put that down to him attention seeking a bit. He used to get a lot of my undivided attention when he was ill but now he's better I've been encouraging him to be a bit more independent and not as clingy to me.

Ahh, we wrote at the same time!
I would suggest after reading this, that this chewing thing is seeking attention too. So, bascially don't give him any attention for it.

Even you worrying about his health over it is giving him attention and perhaps he believs he will get ill so that he can have some more of that undivided attention he had when he *was* ill.

I know it's hard, but just ignore it and do some things 'behind the scenes' to help support his immunity. Basically, don't mention the chewing again and make sure anyone else in your household ignores it. (that's what we did with the chewing and now with the warm air thing)

Bigpaws x

looby75

Thanks Bigpaws, some really good advice and ideas there. He loves garlic, so that's a really easy thing to make sure he eats more of, I didn't realise you could get childrens echinacea, I will have a look for it.

Its really reassuring to know it's not just my ds who has strange and annoying habits lol

vaio

When mine was going through his spot picking phase I used to sellotape socks over his hands at night

Queenie

Have you thought about taking him to the Dr's?

Yes, of course he could get an infection if his mouth/chin are constantly scratched/moist, but the very best advice would come from the GP.

I know you say that his teachers are very happy with him at school, but, in my mind, most problems children have at school are rarely with the teachers but lie with the other children and teachers don't always pick up on that. Maybe it's a habit he's picked up from one of the other kids or maybe it is something he is doing because he's anxious about something. Who knows? Even he may not know!

But for experience and advice, I still think your GP is the best bet.

looby75

queenie I have to admit I'm a bit worried about going to the docs. We were there just about every week for years, it was so bad that the receptionists recognised my voice and when I asked for an appointment they wouldn't even ask who it was for lol. I'm concerned that if I take him for this they will think I'm an over worrying mother and that now he's not getting ill with his ears/throat I'm looking for something else, especially as it does seem to be a habit more than a "condition"

Savvy_Sue

I would definitely make sure his nails are always nice and smooth, filing them to get rid of any rough or sharp bits. Then even if he's licking or chewing he shouldn't scratch his face ...

ailuro2

Give him one of those nail polishing buffer things..but one that only has the smoothest side on it...you know the thing they try to sell you from the cart in shopping malls- they make your nails shiny without nail polish.
Then he will have no excuse to lick them.

At night time put stop and grow on them and tell him not to do it as there is no need now his nails are beautifully smooth.


With any luck one of his peers will notice it and tell him it's not a good thing to do.

I do agree you shuold put feelers out if you think something may have upset him.

alm721

Cant offer much advice but my eight year old daughter has a slightly similar odd habit. For as long as I can remember now she wets her toes before she puts her socks on. She used to just put them in her mouth when she was little but now she licks her fingers then wets her toes with her fingers. It is the only way she will put socks on. I think she dislikes the feeling of socks. She also cannot bear to have just socks on. When getting socks and shoes on she has to do them at the same time. She would'nt for example put socks on upstairs then go down for her shoes, she has to have her socks and shoes together so they go on at the same time and as soon as she takes her shoes off she takes her socks off, her feet are often freezing and she still will not put on socks. Its very odd, Ive found no way of stopping it and have decided shes just weird!:p She also does the wetting her fingers thing when putting of gloves, if anyone has any ideas why she does it or how to stop it, I'd love to know.