Your DC's "bad" habits - how to discourage them?

[sarahsthreads]

The necessary back-story: DH has long hair, which he keeps in a (generally) neat ponytail. Sometimes when some escapes the ponytail and he's involved in something else (watching TV, using the laptop, whatever), he'll (ewwwww) put some in his mouth. He literally chews on his hair. I HATE this habit of his, more than any other little annoying thing he does. It makes my skin crawl just to think about it.

Now DD is doing it.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

She's going to be 2 any day now, and I've told her not to do it because it's yucky. She even knows she's not supposed to, because now when she sees DH doing it she says "Daddy, don't do that, it's yucky!" But, of course, she still does it.

I don't want to tell her that her hair isn't clean. (Oh, God forbid anyone ever tell her this, because when she thinks something isn't clean she begs for it to be washed and has a complete meltdown if you tell her it can't or won't be right now.) I can't keep it in ponytails all the time, it escapes frequently. Short of cutting her hair super-short, what can I do?

I totally blame DH, he just thinks it's hereditary. Yeah. Right.

Suggestions?
Sarah :)

[Lynnie]

no suggestions, but if you find anything that works please let me know !

DS2 will say, "don't eat playdoh, don't eat dirt, don't eat boogies (yes, ewwwww)" but still may occasionally, or more often if he gets the chance do just that.

yuck.

[maestramommy]

Oh, is chewing on hair that bad? I hardly ever did it when I was a kid, but I do remember seeing friends do it in class, particularly when thinking. I thought it was just something some people do.

[jayali]

Don't have an answer but want to hear one. DS finds my stray hairs (I am a BIG shedder) and wraps them around his thumb and then sucks on them. Now how GROSS is that??? He will even pick up stray hairs if he finds them while we are out and does it. I keep telling him it is gross and he repeats my rantings, while he is wrapping the hair around his thumb.

What is it with kids and hair? I don't get it. Suggestions please, anyone!!!!

[sarahsthreads]

That's funny! DD ate playdoh once and never again. It must have been really awful, because this is the child who will eat *anything*. She also stopped chewing on crayons the first time she got an actual piece off, and only put a paintbrush in her mouth once. As far as I know she's never tried dirt or boogies, but art supplies are definitely on her "do not eat" list.

Sarah :)

[sarahsthreads]

I don't remember other girls doing it in class, but all of grade school is kind of hazy for me. I'm old. ;)

I guess it wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have curly hair - usually one side is these wet (or stiff - ewww) curls and the other side is dry frizz.

Maybe I can get her to chew on both sides equally instead of giving up the habit entirely?

Sarah :)

[sarahsthreads]

Oh, the out and about stray hairs would just about do me in. Yuck!

We'll just keep telling ourselves that it's strengthening their immune systems, right?

Sarah :)

[KHF]

Not to hijack your thread, but my daughter is going through a whole "hair" thing. I have a hair phobia (can't stand hairs laying around, in the drain, where ever), and it's driving me crazy. I have a ton of hair, and she'll find strands on my back or just lying around and try to eat them. She will put hair out of the cats and eat it. She will pull the icky cabinet fuzz from under the kitchen cabinets and eat it. I'm killing myself trying to clean the floors,cabinets, etc. 24 hours a day. I'm starting to think I'm going to have to give HER the hairball treatments instead of the cats.

Someone please tell me they have BTDT and this will pass.

Kirsten
DD Laurel - 8.22.2005