The Most Common Bad Habits In Young Children

Bad habits in young children  can cause serious  problems that could last a lifetime. For this reason, we parents need to be careful and intervene in time to correct them.

The child imitates the behavior of others. If the people he spends a lot of time with have bad habits, he too will naturally acquire them. This is an important aspect to consider when correcting a young child’s bad habits.

How is a habit formed?

Habits are formed through behaviors that are repeated unconsciously. Some young children have habits that may be related to some physical or psychological problem. In these cases they become obsessive behaviors and it is necessary to consult doctors and psychologists to prevent them from becoming chronic.

Bad habits in young children

Some bad habits have direct health consequences. Others affect relationships and coexistence. What is certain is that they must be corrected as soon as possible so that they do not take root permanently in the child.

1. Unhealthy diet

Eating junk food is a very common habit these days. There are children who just want to eat this. Two of the consequences of this habit are obesity and childhood hypertension.

To correct this habit,  menus must be studied that include various foods and are visually attractive to the child. If they don’t like a food, it can be replaced by another food from the same group. The ability for the child to have a say in the preparation of the meal will help him to accept it more willingly.

2.  Eat while watching television

Some research has established that eating while watching television negatively affects weight gain, resulting in overweight. The child’s brain, focused on television programs, does not perceive the sense of satiety. This causes the baby to eat more than necessary. Meal time should be a time when possibly all family members, or the child and the person with him, talk and tell each other how the day went.

As mentioned earlier, the child imitates what he sees. If people in the house treat each other badly or use inappropriate vocabulary, the child will also acquire this habit. But then it will be difficult to correct it. Outside the four walls of the home he will behave in the same way with teachers and other older people. We must begin to correct this bad habit by starting with a good example offered by adults.

4. PC, video games and television

More than a habit, the various technological devices have become an addiction, capable of affecting even health. In fact, children often do not want to go out and play because they are too busy with computers, video games and so on. As if that weren’t enough, this addiction causes sleep disturbances and hinders social development.

Due to this bad habit, many times the child does not even do his homework. To correct it, it is essential to establish a routine and schedules, so that the child does not remain in front of the various screens for more than two hours.

Addiction to technology is a very common habit in nervous, insecure and anxious children. Children who suffer from it end up hurting their fingers, causing injuries and infections. If this behavior tends to worsen, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

5. Suck your finger or pick your nose

Sometimes the finger is a substitute for the pacifier. This is a habit that appears in childhood and usually disappears naturally. If it persists, it is advisable to consult a specialist to avoid problems with the baby’s palate.

Picking your nose, on the other hand, is an unpleasant habit that must be corrected. Many times  the small child does this unknowingly to the point of causing nosebleeds. Making your child realize that he always has his finger in his nose is the right way to help him correct himself.

6. Go to bed late

Young children need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep a night, with slight variations depending on age. If they don’t get enough sleep, they will become irritable, unfocused, apathetic and tired. Likewise, they may have a deficit of memory and reasoning agility.

Little sleep also causes hormonal imbalances. Setting a reasonable time to go to sleep and maintaining the routine without exception is the right way to change this habit. Making dinner early and getting them to sleep by reading them a story, for example, may be the way to go to start a new habit.

7. Lack of adequate hygiene

Hygiene is essential for health and social relationships. There are children who do not want to bathe every day or brush their teeth after every meal. This refusal can become a bad habit. Washing your hands often, bathing every day, brushing your teeth are habits that must be imposed. The example of parents is essential for children’s pedagogy.