Kids picking their noses

amother

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:11 pm

Elementary. How do you react? On the one hand I don’t want to embarrass them but on the other hand I’m really not interested in getting sick from their germs. I’ve said things like ‘And in this weeks parsha, Sarah please sanitize your hands, we learn that…” but I still feel bad. And sometimes that doesn’t even help.

amother

Tealblue

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:15 pm

Learn to ignore. Yes, it's gross. Little kids can be gross. Comes with the territory. This is why I wash my hands after the day ends, and after I grade a set of papers, etc.

Most kids outgrow it especially once it becomes a social issue.

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:24 pm

amother Tealblue wrote:

No, you don’t ignore! If their own parents don’t do the right thing and teach them not to, then it’s a real chesed to teach them. Hand them a tissue and tell them it’s not polite or healthy to use their fingers.

amother

Tealblue

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:27 pm

amother DarkCyan wrote:

They'll learn. As I said, once they get older and become more socially aware. It's not going to change anything if you lecture then, they'll just put their head down and think you can't see it that way lol.
If they are older (like 4th and up) and still doing this publicly I guarantee you there are other issues going on and you saying something will embarrass them and won't help anyway. At that point, it's an issue for the guidance counselor to deal with.

CPenzias

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:17 pm

I say "go get a tissue and then wash your hands with soap please." I don't say why. I say it calmly and keep it moving.

amother

Gold

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:52 pm

I was the child that did it and cringe today when I think about it. Why not give a general lesson about it during class. It would have helped in my case. I was just completely unaware.

amother

Yellow

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:01 pm

I have a friend who did it throughout high school. No. They don’t outgrow it. I was really embarrassed with her. She ate it.

amother

Tealblue

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:02 pm

amother Yellow wrote:

I have a friend who did it throughout high school. No. They don’t outgrow it. I was really embarrassed with her. She ate it.

Exactly. She obviously had issues and needed help from a professional. Not a PSA from the classroom teacher

Chayalle

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:02 pm

Funny but I have this memory of a girl who was in lower elementary school, and she never cleaned her nose. I remember you could see the boogers sticking out of the bottom and it was so gross, I was more grossed out by that than anyone who kept their nose clean however they did it....

But yeah, just hand them a tissue.

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 8:05 pm

amother Tealblue wrote:

I totally disagree. I’ve taught mine what’s socially acceptable and what’s not. And they learned on the spot. I don’t understand any parent not even bothering to try. I guess that’s why there are so many people who grow up not having learned to say please and thank you,

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 8:06 pm

amother Gold wrote:

I was the child that did it and cringe today when I think about it. Why not give a general lesson about it during class. It would have helped in my case. I was just completely unaware.

It’s first and foremost the parents’ job

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 8:06 pm

amother Tealblue wrote:

Exactly. She obviously had issues and needed help from a professional. Not a PSA from the classroom teacher

Wrong. She needed a parent to teach her from a young age

amother

Ivory

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 8:14 pm

My DD is going crazy sitting between 2 kids who do this..... and its not always something you outgrow, my neighbor is still doing it as are her kids...

amother

PlumPink

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 8:15 pm

My child does it no matter how many times I tell them not to. Thinks it's funny. Child is 4. I hope they outgrow it quickly

notshanarishona

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 9:27 pm

Personally I give general discussions about things like using tissues unless I am with a kid one on one In which case I would just hand them one.
As far as getting sick from their germs, unfortunately it comes with the territory of working with younger kids.

amother

Mustard

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 10:27 pm

My son is 9 and I am very untop of it but he just doesn’t seem to want to stop. Stop blaming mother stop blaming ppl. They are kids I hope he outgrows it I give him enough of. A hard time with it I hope his teachers be rebbes don’t.

amother

Impatiens

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 10:33 pm

I'm an adult who still picks my nose sadly. I am I guess a little sensory, and the smell and texture of tissues always bothered me (still do). Handkerchiefs are not done nowadays and it became a habit. A teacher mentioning it would have made me mortified.

amother

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 10:42 pm

I don’t want to embarrass them. But I’m now sick and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of my 2/3 graders.

amother

Impatiens

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 10:46 pm

It definitely could be, but remember that many diseases are spread through breathing, not just by touching germy surfaces. If you wash your hands frequently it shouldn't matter so much what they touch with germy hands anyway. Because the germs need to enter your body to infect you, so unless you touch your mouth or nose with germy hands it has no path to infect you.

Gee

Fri, Jan 20 2023, 10:32 am

Dont have a solution - just want to emphasize the role of empathy here. Just because you or your child would stop when ade aware does not mean thats the same for all kids. Often parents are aware of kids nose picking and try to get them to stop, explain whats socially inappropriate, teach and model better hygiene etc...but thats not always effective. Due to so many factors some kids struggle more with these types of behaviors than others. Refuah Shelaima and hatzlocha