The Most Common Bad Habits In Young Children

Bad habits in young children can cause serious problems that affect them throughout their lives. For this reason, it is necessary that the family be attentive and intervene in time to correct them.

The child imitates the behaviors of others. If the people he spends a lot of time with have inappropriate habits, he will naturally pick them up too. This is a very important aspect that must be taken into account when correcting bad habits in young children.

How do you form a habit?

Habits are formed with behaviors that are unconsciously repeated. There are bad habits in young children that can be due to some physical or psychological problem. In these cases, they become obsessive behaviors and must be treated by doctors and psychologists to prevent them from becoming chronic.

Bad habits in young children

Some of the bad habits in young children have a direct impact on health. Others harm relationships and coexistence. The truth is that they must be corrected early so that they do not settle permanently in the child.

1.- Unhealthy diet

Eating junk food is a very widespread habit these days. In fact, there are children who just want to eat this type of food. A consequence of this habit is obesity and childhood hypertension, among others.

To correct this, menus should be developed that include a variety of foods and that are visually attractive to the child. If you do not like a food, you can substitute another from the same group. That the child takes part in the elaboration of the food will favor that it accepts it.

2.- Eat while watching television

Research shows that eating while watching TV is one of the factors that affects being overweight. The child’s brain, focused on television, does not recognize the signal that he has had enough to eat, and eats more than necessary. Mealtime should be a time when the family, if possible, or the child and the person with him, talk and tell each other about the day.

3.-  Use of “bad words” and rude answers

As said before, the child imitates what he sees. If at home people who live with him treat each other badly or use inappropriate vocabulary, the child will acquire this habit and it will be difficult to correct it. When you leave the home environment, you will also express it with teachers and other seniors. The correction task should begin with a good example from the adults.

4.- PC, video games and television

Screens and technology, more than a habit, has become an addiction. In fact, it can even harm their health, because many times children do not want to go out to play due to being trapped by technology. Also, this causes sleep disturbances and hampers their social development.

Many times the little one does not fulfill the tasks of the school because of this bad habit. To correct it, it is necessary to establish routines and schedules in which the child does not spend more than two hours in front of a screen.

Technology addiction is a very common habit in nervous, insecure, and anxious children. Children who suffer from it can injure their fingers, causing bleeding and infections. If this behavior tends to be accentuated, a doctor should be consulted.

5.- Thumb sucking or nose picking

Sometimes the finger becomes a substitute for the pacifier. It is a bad habit that appears during childhood and that generally disappears naturally. If it lasts, it is advisable to consult a specialist so that you do not cause problems with your palate.

On the other hand, picking the nose is another unpleasant habit that needs to be corrected. Many times the young child does it so unconsciously that it can cause nosebleeds. Making the child aware of every moment that his finger is on his nose is the way to begin to correct it.

6.- Go to bed late

The little ones need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep, with slight variations according to age. If they don’t get enough sleep, they will be irritable, unfocused, listless, and tired. Likewise, there may be a certain deficit in memory and reasoning agility.

Poor sleep also causes hormonal imbalances. Establishing a reasonable time to go to bed and maintaining the routine without exceptions is the way to change this habit. Organizing dinner early and helping them fall asleep by reading a story, for example, can be the way to start a new habit.

7.- Not having adequate hygiene

Hygiene is essential for health and social life. There are children who resist daily bathing and brushing their teeth after every meal. And this resistance can end up becoming a bad habit. Frequent hand washing, daily bathing and tooth brushing are habits that must be imposed. The example of parents is essential for children’s pedagogy.