Kids are cute and can bring love and happiness into an otherwise dull day. Their innocent smiles and naughty antics can make anyone smile.
As they are exploring the world, children can pick up some habits that seem nasty. One of these is picking their nose and eating boogers.
Why do children eat boogers? What does it mean?
Why a child eats boogers can have many answers that vary based on him or her. The first reason is very simple.
Kids mimic what they see. If a child sees another kid eating boogers, he will want to imitate the action. This habit can also be picked up by watching cartoon characters picking their nose on television too.
Does every kid eat their boogers?
There’s no fixed rule to it but all kids are inherently curious. They want to learn about the world. So it is very likely that every child has eaten boogers at one time or another.
Eating boogers deficiency | Is there a disorder for eating boogers?
Eating boogers for most people is a childhood habit that can be discontinued minimal guidance from parents. It is rarely a disorder.
Excessive nose picking can be harmful because it can cause damage to the inside of the nose and even lead to bleeding. The disorder characterized by excessive picking of the nose is called rhinotillexomania.
Autism eating boogers
Excessive and seemingly incurable nose picking can be a sign of Asperger’s disease. Asperger’s is a mild form of autism in which an individual may have a hard time connecting with people socially. It can often be cured with behavioral therapy.
Do boogers taste good?
Boogers or the mucus in your nose are made up of water, proteins, and salt. It has a salty taste and this is probably why children eat it. Some people say it tastes sweet too.
Why do we have boogers?
The mucus in our noses plays an important role in protecting our bodies. Since it is moist, it traps dirt that may make its way into our noses when we breathe. This prevents it from going into the lungs and causing difficulty in breathing.
Do boogers have protein?
Yes, they do. Boogers are made up of gel-like proteins. This is why they have a gooey structure.
Since boogers are actually supposed to prevent your body from taking in harmful bacteria and other microorganisms from the air outside, they have special proteins that kill these organisms and prevent diseases.
This, however, does not mean that eating boogers will provide protein to the body. You should look for better sources of protein with higher nutritional value like eggs or milk.
Is it bad for my kid to eat his boogers
Though it is a nasty habit that might get you a few disgusted looks from around you, your chile-eating boogers may not be all bad.
Scientists say that eating boogers is a good way to boost immunity in the body. This is because the pathogens that come into the nose are reintroduced into the body and this can help the body generate the antigens needed to fight back.
How to stop your child from eating boogers?
Talk to them
The first thing you should try is to talk to your child about this habit. Teaching them about hygiene and good habits through stories or videos can be quite helpful.
After this, you can gently remind them whenever you see them picking their nose. If they are old enough to understand, you can teach the children about germs and bacteria and how they affect the body.
Solve underlying issues
Simultaneously, you might want to address the problem of the dry nose. If your child’s nose is healthy and moist, he or she won’t feel the need to pick it. Look out for allergies that may be triggering a dry nose and try to keep your child hydrated.
Teach them a better way
You can teach your child to use a handkerchief every time he or she feels the need to pick his nose. Another way is to wrap bandages around the fingers the child uses to nose dig.
Conclusion
Some experts say that eating boogers can be beneficial. However, there isn’t much proof to support this claim. The truth is that it is looked down upon and viewed as a nasty habit in social settings.
Nose picking and eating boogers can be seen in almost all children and you can use simple means like talking to them about it or finding ways to keep their hands engaged to reduce the problem.
If the issue persists, you can contact a doctor for advice.
