Parents reach new lows - I was asked to stop telling a child not to pick their nose!

[Scurvy]

.

I would tell this mom that what she feels is acceptable at home is not at school. You can be nude at home and that is fine, but you can't do it in public. I would tell her that it is against the rules in your classroom/school and if he wants to do it at home feel free, but in your classroom you make the rules and it isn't allowed, and you will tell her child this each time you see him do it.

If she lets her child run wild at home screaming at the top of his lungs, you wouldn't allow it in your classroom either. What if she let him pee in the yard, doesn't mean he's allow to pee outside of a bathroom at school. (I had a friend who potty trained this way and while her son properly went elsewhere when away from home, I can imagine if this mom allowed it, she'd expect it at school as well.)

You shouldn't have to be dealing with this, OP. I'd just tell her she can allow/disallow whatever she wants in her home, but while her son is in your classroom he is expected to follow your rules and "No nose picking" is one of them. And then I'd correct him each and every time he does it. I might leave out the other reasons why he can't do it, but I'd tell him every single time "The rule is we don't pick noses in this classroom. Stop now and go wash your hands"

 

[paintnolish]

My children's school has posters around with things like: mCover your nose and mouth when you sneeze. Don't touch your nose, eyes, and mouth. Wash your hands. Anyway, if you have those (lots of elementary schools do), point out that those are school wide rules. Like PPs have said, he'll have to build his immunity on his own time. That is nasty and I can't really see why the mom wouldn't want him to stop. Not to mention, I am sure kids will start to make fun of his habit soon.

 

[Tink888]

Didn't read through all the posts. Just threw up in my mouth a little reading the OP's post. Then I laughed. I have just heard it all!!!

Ummmmm, not sure what to say about that one. I guess since Mommy encourages it, I'd allow the little picker/eater to have at it. When she contacts you next month to complain the her child has no friends, ask her if she wants to her kid to have snot immunity or friends. Can't have both.

Pickers can't have their snot and eat it too.

Good luck!!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

It's definitely time for the "school appropriate vs. home appropriate talk." I had to have this talk with one of my students whose parents told them that if a kid offended them they should slug them.

Aside from what's been mentioned already about his germs, that is one of the most common ways for people to get the flu. You touch a surface that has the virus on it and then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose. You could get a cold or sinus infection very easily as well. Plus, if he is picking to the point of bleeding, that is going beyond just a minor health risk. That means having to deal with any blood that has gotten on classroom supplies, sending the child out to the nurse which results in him not being there for instruction, etc.

I like the idea of doing a Healthy Heroes contest. That would be a way to address it without singling him out, and reinforcing other healthy behaviors.

I do feel your pain. I teach sped and my kids are constantly picking, sneezing/wiping their noses with their hands, etc. We have a sink on our room and as soon as I see it they are sent back to wash their hands. I think the worst was the day one of my kids walked in after having been gone for two days with a cold, and then wiped his nose all down his shirt. You could literally see the snot. I made him take off the shirt and got him a different one while we washed it. It was disgusting. Snot is the one bodily fluid I cannot do.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I have to chime in on this one.
My great nephew is a gagger....he is only six and if he sees something that is totally gross he gags.....well this one boy on the bus he goes to school on has a nose picker........this boy did it one morning and starter to roll it in his fingers and then ate it and my poor nephew gagged and vomited on the bus.......the school then calls his mother to come and get him cause he is "sick" .....well my niece gets to the school and her son tells her what happened and she turned on her heels and told the nurse that her son is a gagger and this kid did the nose thing on purpose to freak out this six year old ......
.

M ds10 is a huge gagger. Last week he was sent home sick because he vomited in the bathroom. He told me he had a carton of milk that had been rotting in his backpack all week, it broke open, he caught a whiff of it and ran to the bathroom and puked. I was so hoping for a day off the next day!

 

[Ember]

OP, what grade do you teach?

Grade one, so the kids are about 6.

I'm amazed that the other children in the class haven't curtailed his immune building activities I remember having one bugger picking kid in school, and we were relentless.

I don't think they've really noticed the extent to which it happens. (I mean, a good number of them pick at some point.) I do a lot of work concerning how to sit mindfully, and they're pretty good. So mostly they sit facing forward, not looking around at each other. And, as I said, when I do catch it, I try not to draw attention to him. I usually just whisper to him that he needs to not pick his nose and go wash his hands. My goal has never been to embarrass or humiliate this little guy. However, I bet by next year, or even further along this year, it will become an issue.

To all the posters, don't worry, I will be dealing with this. I'll probably start with a home vs. school behavior talk with both mom and my little guy. I like the idea of tying something into the health curriculum, too. I don't want to escalate this to administration if I can help it. (Because, really, it's about nose picking. That and if anyone knows of my other classroom issues, I really went to bat for an undiagnosed autistic child this year to get a full time aide for him and I think admin is sick of me...)

I just couldn't resist posting this little gem of teaching experience. They don't tell you about this sort of thing in university!

 

[C.Ann]

Well thats not exactly what I meant. You guys are talking about involving the school principal and the nurse over some kid picking his nose. I think thats going a bit too far over something that has and does happen all over schools without any kind of major outbreak of disease. I think the OP can continue to reiterate to the child that its not acceptable in school and make sure the kid's parents know to send in an ample supply of hand sanitizer and leave it at that, or like a pp said turn it into some kind of lesson for the students about good hygeine. I'm still curious as to what grade we are talking about here, anyone know?

I know - I was just pulling your leg.. Thus the:

I think we can probably agree that the mom is off her rocker though..

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Wow. I've had a parent fight me on thumb sucking, but never nose picking/eating! I've never heard of booger eating being encouraged! You have to handle this student's papers and supplies . Teachers go through so much more than people realize.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I would tell her that you will honor her wishes and allow her child to pick his nose and eat it (puke), but for the safety of the other children, he will have to wash his hands every time you catch him doing so (and note that you do this will all children so she doesn't think he's being singled out). I bet the child will grow tired of having to wash his hands so much.

That's how I broke a student of picking his nose. Granted, he was autistic and hated washing his hands, so it might not work with all children.

 

[paintnolish]

M ds10 is a huge gagger. Last week he was sent home sick because he vomited in the bathroom. He told me he had a carton of milk that had been rotting in his backpack all week, it broke open, he caught a whiff of it and ran to the bathroom and puked. I was so hoping for a day off the next day!

Oh, yes...so is my ds! Let's see...he saw a dead squirrel near the playground. Puke. A kid spit on him. Puke. Be burped after lunch. Puke. They were always sending him home AND he'd have to miss the next day (24 hr rule). I finally explained it to them and now he stays (unless he has a fever or is otherwise sick). He wishes I hadn't! Anyway, I could totally see him puking after focusing in on a kid doing this!

 

[yoopermom]

All I can say is document, document, document because a parent like this isn't going to be a one-incident wonder. In order to be able to rationalize with someone, they have to *be* rational, and it sure doesn't sound like she is!

God bless you, from one teacher to another

Terri

 

[clovergirl5]

Oh, yes...so is my ds! Let's see...he saw a dead squirrel near the playground. Puke. A kid spit on him. Puke. Be burped after lunch. Puke. They were always sending him home AND he'd have to miss the next day (24 hr rule). I finally explained it to them and now he stays (unless he has a fever or is otherwise sick). He wishes I hadn't! Anyway, I could totally see him puking after focusing in on a kid doing this!

Poor kids, I never have heard of gaggers. I thought a kid doesn't feel good aka stomach flu, they puke. I wasn't aware of gaggers who puke. Not trying to be funny, I have never seen kids like that before. Poor moms. I would imagine having to pick them up from school so much would be irritating. I always tell my kids if you see someone puke, stay away from them! We have had stomach flu circulate too many times here at home.

 

[paintnolish]

clovergirl5- I am pretty good at reconizing "the look" and getting him to the bathrrom or a trash can! I tell people, "You know how you get that feeling like you could puke with a burp or when you see something yucky? Rather than trying stopping himself, he just goes with it!" I guess it makes for some funny stories. I was eating black licorice in the car and he wanted to try it (he is an adventurous eater, loves all kinds of weird stuff, like mussels, etc.). Anyway, he didn't like it, threw up a bit on the seat, then I whipped over and he puked on the sidewalk! Lovely.

 

[Hillbeans]

Wow just wow, I feel so bad for teachers these days.

Unreal.

 

[DarthKTrava]

That woman is disgusting! Makes one wonder what other nasty habits she gets her children to do.... Nose picking should be done IN PRIVATE (by yourself or in the bathroom), not in public!

 

[DarthKTrava]

I would've asked to speak to an adult of the house.

Wackadoodle.

Doubt there is one in the home.... It's full of snot-eating kids and butt-scratching bigger kids....

All of them special snowflakes.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

OH MY FREAKIN GOSH!!! what a nuttcase!! i would have told her vitamin C is better!!

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

Poor kids, I never have heard of gaggers. I thought a kid doesn't feel good aka stomach flu, they puke. I wasn't aware of gaggers who puke. Not trying to be funny, I have never seen kids like that before. Poor moms. I would imagine having to pick them up from school so much would be irritating. I always tell my kids if you see someone puke, stay away from them! We have had stomach flu circulate too many times here at home.

HA HA my son is a gagger. He is almost 4 and he gags everytime he goes well....ummm...potty. can't stand the smell....

 

[karensi]

All I have to say is YUCK and GROSS.

Good luck OP, i'm glad, for your sake and the other kids in your class, that you are going to deal with it rather than let it go.

Its disgusting

Karen

 

[surfergirl602]

I saw a Tyra episode a while back about the grossest habits people have and this was one of them. this girl once heard the same thing the mother said so that's why she did it. An adult. mind you. And they had drs on that told them the truth - she wasn't building up an ammunity, sh was making herself more sick by eating them!