My son is distroying his fingers...

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momof3rugratz

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Originally Posted by Beckiboo

Well, to someone who used to suck her fingers, it sounds cruel. But you are there, and know the situation best. I know at that age both my sons got a nervous habit of licking all the way around their lips, so they had a chapped area about 1 inch all the way around their mouths! Especially the one who is 17 now, he just looked like a clown! I finally got real diligent about using chapstick, and yes, I did try to shame him about it some too. Finally it went away.

So I do understand the frustration with trying to change a kid that age for the better. Good luck, I hope he improves!
LOL he does that also HEHEHE my son loves his fingers. I took and each have like a bandaid on them LOL He likes them. He said he needs his gloves now LOL. He went to sleep. o He did mention he can not pick his nose now. I said that is good he said no I have a big bugger mommy can you get it I was almost tempted to take the tape off but they have to heal they are going to get infected. So I had to take a tissue and do the motherly duty GROSS...
 

zissou'smom

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Whatever you do, don't be too harsh about it.

My earliest memory is of my mom yanking my nookie out of my mouth the day before I started preschool (so I was 3 1/2) putting it in a drawer and I never saw it again. With no warning. It was very traumatizing, and I bet a freudian psychologist would say it's why I smoke (I'm not looking for an excuse for that).
If I sucked my fingers after that, she'd just ask me if my hand tasted good. Eventually that was so annoying that I just quit doing it.
 
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momof3rugratz

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Whatever you do, don't be too harsh about it.

My earliest memory is of my mom yanking my nookie out of my mouth the day before I started preschool (so I was 3 1/2) putting it in a drawer and I never saw it again. With no warning. It was very traumatizing, and I bet a freudian psychologist would say it's why I smoke (I'm not looking for an excuse for that).
If I sucked my fingers after that, she'd just ask me if my hand tasted good. Eventually that was so annoying that I just quit doing it.
Him doing this was fine tell the doc said they are getting bad. They are gross and no skin so I have to do something now.
 
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momof3rugratz

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Originally Posted by Mom2SalemIsis

they used to make this clear "nail polish" that was really nasty tasting i don't know if they make it anymore but that is what my mom used to break me from doing that. it was made especiially for nail biters
tried it and he chewed it off....
 

beckiboo

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Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Whatever you do, don't be too harsh about it.

My earliest memory is of my mom yanking my nookie out of my mouth the day before I started preschool (so I was 3 1/2) putting it in a drawer and I never saw it again. With no warning. It was very traumatizing, and I bet a freudian psychologist would say it's why I smoke (I'm not looking for an excuse for that).
If I sucked my fingers after that, she'd just ask me if my hand tasted good. Eventually that was so annoying that I just quit doing it.
Oh, my gosh...that brings back memories. When my now 10 y/o dd was about 1-1/2 years old, we had weaned her off her binkie (pacifier). But dh kept putting a spare in her diaper bag, in case the babysitter needed it. (She didn't, because she weaned dd off it by day, before we weaned her off it at night!) One day, as I was driving her to the sitters, I looked in the rearview mirror, and Lexie had dug in the diaper bag, found the binkie, and popped it in her mouth! I was so mad (at dh, not dd) that I reached back and grabbed it, and flung it out the passenger window. The next time I looked in the mirror, I saw Lexie with both hands covering her mouth, looking at me in horror. You would think she had witnessed an act of violence!

Then when we got to the sitters, and I got Lexie out of the car, she went over to the passenger side of the car to check the ground for her binkie, not realizing it was blocks away. I still feel bad for doing that to her...if I had thought for a minute, I could have just had the sitter sneak it away, or made her leave it in the car!

One thing you learn as a mother, is its a good thing God made kids as resiliant as He did, because sometimes Moms mess up big time!
 

zissou'smom

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Oh I wasn't saying you shouldn't do anything... maybe just help him realize why he should stop, and make it seem like his decision. Because if making them taste terrible isn't working, there might be some sort of rebellion working its way in and the more you try to make him stop the more he'll do it. If he decides to stop it will be much smoother. Perhaps you could enlist the help of a slightly older kid who he looks up to? I know often someone who the kid doesn't see as an authority can do things, like convincing him to not chew on his hands, the kid would resist horribly if his parents told him. I don't have any kids, just lots of babysitting, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Always worked for me though!

Beckiboo--
I wasn't allowed to go to preschool until I was off the nookie, which is why she did it. It was terrible. She ripped it right out of my mouth and into the drawer it went, and then she just let me cry for a while. I remember finding it still in that drawer when I was older (like, 8) and it made me cry again. I was mad at her for days! Then again, I was way too old for it, and it was starting to mess up my teeth.
 

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hahaha, this is super embarrassing..but I DO THAT TOO!

Yes, I admit it, I am 24 years old..and have a freakish habit of chewing my fingers around the nails. It's hard to explain to people, as my boyfriend just says "just stop doing it"..But I can't because it's an addiction just like smoking or something (minus the chemical dependancy).

I have done it since I was in High school, and I have been trying to stop for years...especially now that I have a job where I talk to clients and have to be very professional all the time.

So, there's my horrible secret. I have zero will power allowing me to stop this disgusting childish habit.

Gross huh?
 

deb25

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It might well be that you'll need a counselor to help direct him into a different behavior. I was a nail biter and a thumb sucker as a child. I believe that a good portion of the reason that I smoke was the oral-hand connection.
 
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momof3rugratz

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He does see a counselor we think it has to do with his health He has gastro intestinal dieses and his immune system has been compromised so he has infusions for it.
 

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I was just thinking that perhaps you might be more successful finding a replacement behavior.
 
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momof3rugratz

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My dad is working with him. We have to go slow. With the lose of the kids dad my husband things are stressfull at times. My dad said he is getiing boxing gloves and a bag and is going to hang it on the porch. Also he is going to let him jump on the trampoline 10 min everyday as long as his fingers are healing and not bleeding or red and swore. It worked today. Lets see how it goes.
 
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