A few days ago, I took my baby to a friend's house to visit the door, and as soon as I entered the door, my friend began to complain about her 3-year-old little princess:
"Recently, the obedient eater has eaten 'forget me', and when I sleep at night, I still nibble non-stop, and eating pig's trotters is not so fragrant!"
I listened and looked at the girl's small hand, and found that it had been somewhat peeled, and my friend sighed and was very worried.
In real life, many parents may have encountered such a problem, the baby always likes to put his hand in his mouth, when he was a child, he was fine, as long as he washed his hands, whatever he ate.
But when the baby grows up and learns to "rummage through the boxes and cabinets", the small hands are often dirty, and it is not only unhygienic to eat, but also worry about affecting the development of teeth and hurting the fingers.
For this question, parents must first distinguish: is the baby "eating hands" or "eating fingers"? These are two completely different things, reflecting the psychological needs of children who are also different and need to be targeted.
Baby eating hands: a normal physiological phenomenon of "appetite period"
The baby's "eating hand" refers to the wrist, palm, finger and other parts, all stuffed into the mouth, is a very normal physiological phenomenon in the "oral desire period".
Generally speaking, the "oral desire period" is 0-18 months after the baby is born, at which time he will focus on what is in his mouth, not only his hands, but anything he gets will be stuffed into his mouth.
When doing the four-dimensional color timeout, many mothers may find this situation: the baby has been sucking his own small hands, which looks very cute.
In fact, the baby's action of "eating hands" is an instinct, and the psychological needs he expresses at this time are mainly the following 3 types:
1. Explore the needs
"Eating hands" is the main way for babies to explore the world, through biting, licking, cognitive ability can be improved, get a lot of novel experiences, belongs to a kind of exploration needs.
2. Relieve the discomfort during the teething period
When your baby is in the teething period, the gums will feel swollen, and the discomfort can be alleviated by "eating hands".
3. Need to be reassured
When the baby "eats the hand", he can get a sense of security and satisfaction, and because he cannot speak, the baby's way of expressing emotions is limited, and "eating the hand" is a manifestation that needs to be soothed.
Therefore, in summary, when the baby in the "appetite period" eats his hands, we do not have to interfere excessively, we only need to maintain the hygiene of the baby's small hands.
Of course, in case the baby eats too often, there is a broken skin, finger deformation, we still have to intervene appropriately, such as using small snacks to divert the baby's attention and gradually correct.
Babies eat fingers: may develop dependence and there are health risks
If the baby still has a "favorite" for the opponent after passing the oral period, most of them will "evolve" to bite their fingers, and it is very likely that dependence has been generated at this time, and there are certain health risks.
For example, the baby bites the finger for a long time, the finger is compressed by the teeth, easy to appear molting, swelling, wound infection and other problems, and is not conducive to the baby's teeth development, may lead to the teeth are not aligned, and even the development of language ability is also affected.
Moreover, the baby's hygiene awareness is poor, and when eating fingers, it is easy to bring bacterial viruses into the stomach, increasing the risk of infection with diseases.
The reason why babies like to "bite their fingers", the psychological needs expressed are mainly the following two types:
1. Lack of security
Some parents discipline the baby strictly, or the family environment is not harmonious, the baby feels stressed, insecure, it will be easy to bite the finger to dispel negative emotions, comfort themselves.
2. Develop bad habits
Some babies like to bite their fingers, probably because parents are neglected to guide, develop bad habits, simply think that biting fingers is interesting, and can't stop biting.
Therefore, when the baby is more than 2 years old and still likes to bite his fingers, we must pay attention to correcting and change the baby's bad habits in time.
How can I correct my baby's finger-biting habits?
1. Give more companionship
Some babies eat their fingers because of a lack of security, and when we correct the baby, we should pay attention to giving him more companionship to make the baby feel safe.
For example, paying attention to the attitude towards the baby, spending a pleasant parent-child time with the baby after work, creating a harmonious family atmosphere, etc., are all effective methods.
2. Divert your baby's attention
Many babies biting their fingers is actually an unconscious behavior, which we can correct by diverting the baby's attention.
For example, letting the baby play with his favorite toys, letting the baby take the teething cookie, playing games with the baby, etc., can divert his attention from his fingers.
3. Corrective treatment is carried out
Finally, if the baby's finger biting situation is more serious, there have been some adverse reactions, we must seek help from a professional doctor, corrective treatment, do not miss the time of treatment.
epilogue:
There are many differences between the baby's "eating hands" and "eating fingers", and parents should pay attention to distinguishing the differences.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that when we correct the baby's "eating fingers", we must avoid an arrogant attitude and use a rough way to treat, otherwise it may leave a psychological shadow on the baby and is not conducive to its healthy growth.
Today's topic: Does your baby like to eat hands?