Once in children's hands, school supplies sometimes find incredible uses. For some reason, it is difficult for children to forget a simple infant research technique. Although some adults also suffer from this unsightly habit. The question arises: how to stop a child from chewing pencils and pens? What are the underlying reasons?

Psychological aspect of the problem

Firstly, the thought that immediately comes to the mind of an adult who looks at a child biting his nails or other objects is that he is not confident in himself. He tries in vain to think or concentrate on:

• educational task;
• information heard and seen;
• the current situation.

According to child psychologists, the bad habit of chewing pens and pencils only further distracts and scatters attention.

Secondly, among other symptoms of a child’s condition, psychologists name nervousness. More often, children chew on objects while sitting at a desk. Schoolchildren, especially during the adaptation period in the first year of study, when changing class staff or teachers, experience stressful discomfort. The nuances of family life can also cause an excited nervous state.

Thirdly, lack of interest may be the answer to the question: why does a child chew pencils? A similar habit is shared by people who, during a boring conversation or lecture, draw geometric shapes in the margins of a notebook.

Fourthly, it is possible that a child may begin to chew writing instruments despite the fact that he is being weaned from doing the same with his nails. He changed the object of influence and chose a less harmful, in his opinion, alternative activity.

Medical aspect of the problem

At times, the chewing of pens and pencils that occurs in a child can be caused by a feeling of hunger and instinctive behavior to pull something into the mouth, even if it is not edible.

Doctors state that:

• through contaminated objects in children's body germs and helminth eggs enter, causing severe disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract;
• a load is placed on the child’s developing teeth, which leads to a violation of the integrity of the tooth enamel, injury to the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and gums;
• The materials used to make school supplies may contain environmentally hazardous chemicals, the release of which into the bloodstream can cause serious illness.

Methods to combat a bad habit

Adults should try to treat the problem constructively, not raise their voices, and not use comparisons and epithets when talking with a child. Praise and encourage for the slightest successes on the path to victory over yourself.

• Write a story in which main character bites nails and objects. The child will have the opportunity to look at himself and his hated habit from the outside.
• Master home game. When the moment comes when the educational material is in the mouth, the child must say out loud the words: “I’m gnawing again!” At first it will be funny for him to notice himself. As a result, the game will allow the child to realize the obsession of an endlessly repeated action and will not allow the habit to take hold for life.
• You can tell impressionable children that helminths are caused by dirt and microbes on the tip of the cap. It is recommended not only to tell, but also to show photographs and videos that can be easily found on the Internet, since ordinary words, as a rule, do not work.

The causes of nervousness should be eliminated and a pediatrician should be consulted about the use of homeopathic sedatives. You can visit a psychologist and use effective techniques combating unpleasant addiction, simple relaxation techniques.

The following techniques work at home:

1. Buy pens that will be a pity to spoil or uncomfortable to chew due to the unusual shape of the cap, for example, in the shape of a cartoon character.
2. To wean a child from biting the tip of a pen, on the advice of experienced parents, it helps to wrap cotton wool (a cloth) around it, or to apply a special anti-nail varnish that does not wash off for 3 days. Emerging discomfort in the mouth will return the student’s consciousness to reality and will not provide the opportunity to revel in weakness of will.
3. Invite your child to change one habit for another. Instead of a harmful one, get something useful, for example, fiddling with your earlobe. There are energy points responsible for memory and attention, those types of thinking that are so necessary in learning.

Analysis of the reasons and the use of cunning parenting techniques will help adults wean a little person from a bad habit.

IN school years, many watched as classmates every now and then “touched” to the tip of a pen or pencil. It seems that no one is particularly hungry, however, thinking about the next example, or thinking about a new creative masterpiece in literature, half the class literally turns into beavers, diligently gnawing the ends of school supplies.

So, Is chewing on pens and pencils bad habit? Of course yes. The main evidence for this is: school supplies contain many chemical elements that are harmful to health; a school habit often develops into a “beaver” addiction. IN modern life, this bad habit can bring a lot of negativity and trouble at work, or just in public place. That is why it is better to get rid of this habit and the sooner the better.

Let's consider several options for getting rid of this childish, but no less harmful habit. By the way, scientists who studied this habit came to the conclusion that the “beaver” habit begins in childhood. Its very existence is explained by the fact that in infancy, every child chews something. The latter is done subconsciously - thus, children scratch their gums at the time of the growth of their first baby teeth.

Very often, sweets help get rid of “beaver” habits. They lull the body's need to put something in its mouth. Yes, the main thing is that if you want to “heal” this problem, then use only caramel, or even better, lollipops. Lastly, they will also help you get rid of tobacco addiction, if you smoke and want to get rid of the habit of poisoning your lungs.

Perhaps the most effective remedy is to eat properly, that is, fully and on time. Breakfast and lunch are a must. Don't forget, if you chew school supplies, you do the same damage when you chew gum (that's another topic). A full stomach often saves you from sometimes unknowingly gnawing on something.

If none of the above options helped you, you should try another, one might say radical, method. Perhaps the most effective thing is to lubricate/soak the tips of all pencils and pens that you use with some bitter, but not odorous, substance. Yes, and be careful not to harm yourself even more, or simply get poisoned. Believe me, the first time you try to chew the bitter tip of a pencil or pen, you will instantly and for a long time lose the desire to remain a “beaver”.

There is one more thing, however, that only applies to pencils. As an option, you can buy pencils with an eraser inserted into the tip. Believe me, you won’t want to chew on softer material. And if you start gnawing on it, then spitting out microparticles of the eraser, you won’t want to gnaw it again.

But if we return to the pens again, we can remember another way to get rid of the habit that we are considering. Try to buy a pen not for 5 or 35 rubles, but more expensive. If possible, get yourself a gold-plated pen or something similar. Tested many times, those who like to chew will not bite a business-class handle. A person feels that he needs to match the level of his accessories, and the bad habit goes away by itself.

Each child's age is characterized by certain bad habits. Babies weaned from the breast and pacifiers, thumb sucking or nail biting, younger children school age They chew on pens, pencils, rulers and even pencil cases and textbooks. Adults are well aware that this is harmful.

To establish the cause of a bad habit, you must first analyze and remember when it appeared. Where does he chew pencils? Only at school or at home too. Children generally begin to chew pencils and other school supplies when they come to school. For most children, school is stressful, a change of environment and workload. The child is nervous and worried, and the pencil helps him relieve nervous tension.

This is especially difficult for children who did not go to school. kindergarten and prepared for school at home. In addition to the school workload, they undergo adaptation to the new team.

They need to publicly answer the teacher’s questions and go to the board. Children are afraid to say or do something wrong, especially if it causes ridicule from classmates or remark from the teacher. Therefore, they always get nervous when they have to answer or write a test, and without noticing it, they begin to chew on their pencils.

If your child chews on pencils both at school and at home, try to assess his workload. Maybe he's having a hard time or he can't cope with his homework. Or maybe he hasn’t mastered some material and it’s difficult for him to do his homework. So he sits, thinks about how to make them, chews on a pencil, but not a single sensible thought in his head. Help him with his homework, explain the missed topic, he will feel much more confident and will forget about the pencil.

Don't yell at your child if he chews pens and pencils. This will only make the situation worse and will not help him get rid of this bad habit. Try to create a calm atmosphere at home so that the child can relax and feel support and understanding from you. Many parents come up with different ways to stop your child from chewing school supplies.

For example, you can buy him pens with beautiful original tips, and instead of wooden pencils, use metal ones with a hidden lead.

Tags: Children, Psychosomatics, Child psychologist, Children's psychotherapist

Why does a child under 4 fight?

As a rule, mothers say: “You can’t fight!” or pronounce messages that are similar in meaning, thereby prohibiting the expression of anger and aggressiveness that arose in response to the violation of the child’s boundaries. But as Can they are not taught to express, which can subsequently lead to deep neurosis, and the child will not learn to perceive himself holistically.

It is important to teach your child to express anger and irritation constructively while remaining in contact with others. For example: “I’m angry at you for taking my toy away. Do not do that". The options “beat the pillow”, “tear the sheet”, etc. briefly relieve the tension that has arisen, but do not teach how to resolve conflict situations.

You can forbid a child to fight, then his anger will turn into psychosomatics or other deviant behavior. It is very important to pay attention to the child’s reaction type and patiently teach express different feelings , so that he, having matured and faced with any violation of his own boundaries, can immediately calmly express dissatisfaction, and not continue an unfinished dialogue within himself, lash out at loved ones (“pillow”), or develop an illness in himself.

A child aged 3.5 years is a reflection of the relationship between parents. If there is a lot of anger, irritation, resentment, and guilt in the husband-wife space, then the child will be impatient in showing his own aggression, expressing it for himself and for his parents. In such cases, it is very difficult, almost impossible, to teach a child constructive interaction without changing the parents’ relationship with each other.

“Why does a child chew pens, notebooks, nails...?”

Many parents suggest purchasing beautiful hands or spread mustard on them...

The child bites himself, notebooks, pens... INSTEAD of biting another. In his immediate circle there is significant person exerting, albeit unconsciously, excessive pressure on the child. The child is unable to resist this pressure due to age characteristics and family rules.

Experiencing both pressure and the inability to show irritation, the child begins to blame himself instead of expressing his grievances to another. In psychotherapy, this mechanism of interrupting contact is called retroflection, that is, a sharp turn of feelings towards oneself. This can manifest itself in nail biting, hair pulling, skin scratching, finger wringing, etc. At the same time, while remaining “decent” for society, he calms and supports himself. Chewing pencils and pens is the most common way of such self-support.

What to do?

Determine who is the constant irritant. Realize the level of pressure and control exerted on the child and try to reduce it. This alone will make significant changes in the child's behavior. Train yourself to ask questions: “What was interesting in your life today?” instead of “What grades did you get?” and “What did you have for lunch?”

Allow the child to express irritation and resentment in a demanding form, teaching him to clearly express his needs.

Thus, chewing pens, pencils, and nails is an often ignored, but by no means harmless problem that requires special attention parents.

For those who want to learn more about the relationship between mother and child, we recommend reading:

• Winnicott D. Small children and their mothers.
• Winnicott D. Piggle.
• Winnicott D. Conversation with parents.
• Furmanov I. Children's aggressiveness.
• Klein M. On observing the behavior of infants.
• Bowlby D. Attachment theory - especially.
• Miller A. Drama of a gifted child.

During our school years, we constantly noticed how our classmates, thoughtfully, “gobbled up” the ends of a pen or pencil. And sometimes they themselves did similar things. At the same time, no one was hungry, and the bad habit worsened while solving problems in mathematics or when waiting for inspiration in a literature lesson.

For many children the problem goes too far. Schoolchildren turn into real “beavers” and bring home stubs from pencils and broken pens with their caps bitten off.

Experts consider this behavior to be a neurological problem. Next to the chewed stationery is the habit of thumb sucking and nail biting. The most unpleasant thing is that with age, if measures are not taken, the reflex becomes stronger.

Is chewing pens and pencils bad?

The answer is clear. Yes. Even if we discard the aesthetic component (and many simply do not like a person with such bad habit), that is, harmful to health. Stationery supplies contain many chemical elements that are harmful for ingestion. In addition, microbes and bacteria can enter the body due to the “beaver habit”.

Let's consider options for getting rid of the "disease"

First, it is better to show the “rodent” to a neurologist. After all, psychologists say that for a child, going to first grade can be compared in terms of stress level to man’s first flight into space.

Scientists who studied this habit concluded that this habit begins in childhood. This is explained by the fact that in infancy every child chews something. The latter is done subconsciously - in this way, babies cope with itching gums when their first baby teeth grow.

If it turns out that the student does not have serious problems, then you can use your wits and act. Some mothers advise coating the ends of pens and pencils with something bitter (for example, a special varnish that is available in the store). Some less radically minded parents buy stronger handles that are not so easy to chew.

Very often, sweets help get rid of bad habits. They lull the body's need to put something in its mouth. Lollipops are perfect. True, it is still better not to use this method in the classroom.

Monitor your child's nutrition. No matter how strange it may sound, you don’t want to put anything in your mouth on a full stomach.

There is one more remedy, however, it only applies to pencils. As an option, you can buy pencils with an eraser inserted at the tip. You won’t want to chew on softer, crumblier material.

Well, one more way. But it is more suitable only for adults. Try to buy a pen not for 15 or 35 rubles, but more expensive. You can even go crazy and buy a gold-plated pen or a pen from a well-known company. This is where all the desire to spoil such a business accessory will certainly disappear.

When writing the text, materials from the site topauthor.ru were used