Fox 8 – Maria Scali
“Bad habits: adults have them and children do, too. They can happen at any age. And, they usually cause more social than medical harm. There are ways parents can help their children break bad habits. What might be socially unacceptable can be soothing and relaxing for the child. What Ariele Lewis’ child does is annoying to her. “My five-year-old son picks his nose and bites his toenails, constantly,” she said shaking her head. So, what’s a parent to do? Rule No. 1: Bad Habits will only stop when the child wants them to stop. Dr. Andrew Hertz, pediatrician with Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital says sometimes the best thing for a parent to do is – nothing. Ignore them — especially if it is an attention seeking behavior. “Some people have a habit of always hitting you, knocking at you. And, if you always give a kid attention that’s going to re-enforce that behavior,” Dr. Hertz said.”(more)