When children reach 3 years old, they look like mini teenagers who want to always be right but at the same time have such a sweet look that softens your heart in any situation. We cannot lose sight of the fact that there are strange but normal things in 3-year-olds, and that you have to know about them!

They want to show that they are capable but at the same time they are still very dependent on the adults of reference, and this is normal and okay! They can also have behaviors that are somewhat disconcerting but that are absolutely normal.

Rare but normal behaviors in a 3-year-old boy

If your child shows any of these behaviors, do not worry because it is neither to get angry nor to throw your hands in the head. They are children who are learning, experiencing and who need your guidance and all your unconditional love to continue learning about their immediate environment.

1. They look for treasures in the nose

Yes, they put their fingers in their noses, they take out snot and sometimes they eat it or they end up getting blood from so much rummaging. This is normal behavior. It may be because it itches, out of curiosity or simply because they seem tasty.

If your little three-year-old sticks his fingers up his nose a lot and picks his nose so many times that you start to worry… just when he does, give him a signal to stop. He surely sticks his finger up his nose out of inertia and doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

2. What tantrums they have…

At two years old they have tantrums, yes, but at three years old they are even more powerful and intense. They don’t care where they do them or who watches them. If they have an intense emotion they have to download it to be noticed and that you realize at once the disgust they feel.

He still does not know how to calm those intense emotions and therefore, any reason for frustration can be an emotional apocalypse. It’s normal and you don’t have to get angry, let alone punish him… they’re not challenging you! They just show how they feel!

In these situations, the best thing you can do is “be there”. Don’t back away but give him enough space so that your son can express his emotions but without feeling emotionally abandoned. Make him see that when he calms down you will listen to what is happening to him and you will look for a solution. Validate his emotions, understand him… you have to show a calm and firm attitude, and of course, never negatively reinforce the behavior to prevent it from happening more times in the future.

3. Imaginary friends

Maybe you’ve ever felt chills run down the back of your neck when you’ve seen your little treasure talking to the wall or lending colored pencils to “someone” to paint with. Perhaps you have also seen him have a whole conversation with a being that you cannot see.

It is common for children at this age to have imaginary friends and you should not scare them, nor prevent them from having them. Don’t get mad when he talks to himself and let his imagination continue enjoying that juicy conversation about paint colors.

It usually happens when little ones see other children who have imaginary friends or simply because they want to have a special “friend” in their playroom. It is also normal in children who seem more mature, sociable, intuitive, imaginative, sensitive, and creative.

When a child has an imaginary friend, he or she may be considerably more advanced intellectually than children of his or her age.

When you see your child talking to that “special friend,” don’t make fun of it. Try to reflect on what that “friend” brings to your child every time he “plays” with him. It is possible that your child feels lonely and needs you to spend more time playing next to him or is simply practicing his social skills or perhaps it is his way of expressing contained worries.