Healthy Kids

Help with Habits

We all have bad habits, even children. Their habits tend to drive parents nuts: nail biting, knuckle cracking, chewing on shirts, or picking at their lip or skin. These habits make parents worry and nag. The worry is unnecessary and the nagging will not help. Habits like these are very common, even normal. If ignored, they usually go away in just a few months.

Most experts agree that ignoring the habit is the quickest way to make it disappear. Calling attention to it can actually prolong a habit and make it more severe.

Habits

It helps to talk directly with your child about his habit. In a quiet moment, explain why you want him to stop. For example, you can tell him that:

• Biting on nails can lead to skin infections and more colds.
• Chewing on shirts ruins the shirt.
• Licking his lips makes them dry and chapped.

Tics

Children this age may also develop tics. These are sudden, rapid, repetitive movements. They can include:

• Eye blinking, throat clearing, shoulder shrugging, head jerking, and finger movements.
• A habit cough, one that is dry and honking in nature and tends to develop after a cold, but continues after the other symptoms have disappeared.

Typically, tics:

• Occur only when your child is awake.
• Increase when he is anxious.
• Can happen when he is relaxed (for example, watching TV).
• Can be stopped briefly by your child, but not for long. They are mostly out of his control.

The cause for tics is not known, but there are some patterns:

• Boys get them 3 times more often than girls.
• Tics often run in families.
• Most kids grow out of their tics, often in just a few months. Because of this, medical treatment usually is not needed.

Helping your child manage

If your child is getting teased about having a tic or habit, he may want to talk about it with you. It can help to come up with a way for him to explain to other children what is happening when they notice and stare. Your child could say something like, “When I get scared, my body takes over. Some people’s hearts beat faster or their hands shake. I do this.”

You can also help your child by reducing the stress in his life. Talk openly about whether anything is going on at school, such as bullying or teasing. Over-scheduling your child may be another source of stress. Sometimes tics that start under stressful situations continue even after the stress is gone. However, most tics will still go away on their own when addressed gently and ignored.

If the tics are causing your child a great deal of emotional stress, are persistent and frequent, or last more than a year, you should talk to your pediatrician. There are medications for treating tics, but because they have side effects, most doctors avoid using them unless it is necessary. Medications are used when a tic interferes with the child’s life.

When to talk to your doctor

If your child has many habits occurring at the same time, like sniffing and turning his head with vocalizations, he may have a more severe tic disorder called Tourettes Syndrome. If you have a family history of Tourettes or if these symptoms occur while your child is taking medication for ADHD, you should also contact your pediatrician.

If you cannot figure out why your child is anxious or reduce his stress, it is a good idea to seek professional help. You can talk to your pediatrician or call Kaiser Permanente’s behavioral health services.

Check out the KidsHealth Web site for more tips on dealing with your child’s habits.