Nursery World - Habit forming

Ways to discourage young children from engaging in certain personal habits and develop alternative behaviour are explained by Jenny Mosley and Ross Grogan Q How can we stop a three-year-old in our nursery from picking his nose?

Q How can we stop a three-year-old in our nursery from picking his nose?

Q A two-year-old often puts her hands down her knickers, apparently to comfort herself when she is sleepy or upset. We have been ignoring this behaviour, but should we be actively discouraging it?

A Coming to nursery is often a child's first experience of being away from home and is the place where they can begin to learn the skills that will help them to 'fit in' and succeed in an ever-widening range of challenges and situations. Alongside the educational curriculum that you offer them, you also have the task of helping children to learn the kinds of behaviours that will make them popular and well-adjusted. In other words, you are helping to socialise them.

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