How do I stop my 10 year old son from picking his nose and eating it when he is around his younger brothers?

Question

I thought he had stopped this awhile ago until last week when I looked into the window while coming in from outside. He had just gotten home from school and all four boys (ages 10, 7, 5 and 5... twins) were watching cartoons on TV. I noticed his finger up his nose and to my disappointment he spent the next several minutes picking his nose and eating it right in front of his younger brothers without making the slightest attempt to hide it. In fact, the other boys who greatly look up to him have also taken up this nasty habbit and the twins do it often and unlike my oldest, are not real careful where and when. When I tried to tell him he is setting a very bad example he gets angry and says he only does it at home and waits until I am not around. He says he still likes doing it and taught it to his younger brothers, because he wanted them to do it so they would not make fun of him like I guess a couple of his friends have. Is this normal for a 10 year old? Should I just ignore this?

Answer 1

I think you shouldn't completely ignore it. Just keep telling him to stop and its gross. Its a phase he will come out of sooner or later.

Answer 2

It's quite common for kids to pick their noses and eat it. It's is pretty gross. What you can do is try to find a book that show close up pictures of what germs look like and tell him that when he does this he is also eating all sorts of nasty bugs and stuff. Gross him out to the point he won't want to do it anymore. You can't ignore it. He will grow out of it but he has more chances of getting sick as it's a good way of getting these germs in his digestive track and infections from putting his fingers up his nose.
Good luck! A funny story- when we moved our young daughters bed, we found a whole line of bugger marks she'd wiped on the wall.

Answer 3

It's normal for the attitude of a ten year old. But, there needs to be a stop put to it. You are the boss and he has to listen to you and you need to prove to him that you are serious about it. Just because he is ten does not give him the right to do whatever he wants and you need to step up and show him you are not backing down. You can try ignoring it, but don't know if it will do much good. You could also try putting something that tastes nasty on his hands whenever you catch him doing it, it's just like when a toddler is sucking their thumb. He may fight you on it, but you are the parent.

Answer 4

Have a box, of kleenex, handy, so that everytime you see him going for the nose, just merely hand him a kleenex, and tell him in a very loving way.........You just want his little brother, to look up to him, because you just know he's going to be a good big brother, and that useing a kleenex will help him to be that good example, from now on. Just whatever you do, dont put him down for what he does, its totally natural, and you'll give him a "Complex" about it!! He'll eventually see the need for the kleenex. And realize, it less mess, and everything. I wouldn't worry about it too much!!

Answer 5

I think it is normal behavior for a 10 year old. but it is both socially unacceptable and unclean. Tell him those Buggers are dust particles that he has sucked into his nose form all over the place. Get it into his mind that smell is actually a particle (scientific fact). So if he is smelling dog poop (or something else he finds gross) and eating his bugger he's eating dog poop.
Try not clipping his nails and wait for him to get a nose bleed. After a few nose bleeds he'll stop.

Answer 6

Well, now, if you really want to get him to stop in his tracks, you're going to have to be just as perverse as he is. You are going to start insisting he do this awful habit of his. The quickest way to get a child to quit something is to make it a required task. Now, I know that is far too jaded for you to use, but it gave me great joy to just suggest it. Think about it for a minute: if someone told you you had to do that from now on, how long do you really think it would be fun - ? It's like the wise father who told his son, "If I ever catch you up in the attic reading Shakespeare..."

Answer 7

It is perfectly normal for kids to do that. I know people my age who still do. If you don't want it to be set as an example.. make up some little white lie. Tell him that they are dead brain cells that turn into spiders or something. Whatever you think works best for you.

Answer 8

When I was young I did it and a doctor told my parents I did not have enough sulfer in my body. Try getting some wooden matches and when you see him do it strike a match blow it out and have him eat the head of the match. It will not hurt him and will bring up the sulfer level in his body.

Answer 9

put some pig crap on his fingers and when he goes to pick his nose the smell will stay in his nose and he will get it in his mouth to that will make him stop. lol. and also he wont get a girlfriend.

Answer 10

You explain to him that that behavior is socially unacceptable and if he insists upon doing it any way, he needs to do it in the privacy of the bathroom or his own room when he is in your house.