Picking Scabs.....and Eating Them!

EcclesCake | 12:15 Tue 03rd Sep 2013 | ChatterBank

23 Answers

I was chatting with a neighbour earlier and her little girl was meticulously picking away at a scab until it was free and promptly ate it!

My friend was horrified and admonished her little girl telling her that it's not nice to pick and eat scabs. Typical of a small child the retort was 'why?'.

Replies along the lines of nice little girls don't eat their scabs etc just resulted in more retorts of 'why?'.

So apart from being anti-social why is it wrong to eat scabs and what justification can be given to a small child.

A Tuesday Morning Chuckle

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joggerjayne

Is anyone else, like me, sitting in front of their lappy making that squeamish, queasy face?

EcclesCake

Question Author

I wish I could have mustered a queasy face, instead I was trying not to smirk.....not helpful for my neighbour :-(

gness

But how do we know that the scab doesn't contain an essential mineral or vitamin that the child is deficient in...maybe she needs scabs....maybe we all do??

sandyRoe

The parent could lie to the child and say that picking scabs will leave an ugly scar. It the little girl doesn't pick it off she can't eat it.

Baldric

Did she eat it with relish?

gness

Ketchup sticks better, Baldric. x

joggerjayne

Well, I suppose a scab is basically dried blood.

It must contain iron.

If the child has an iron deficiency, eating scabs might do her good.

Or she could try pan fried calves liver.

sandyRoe

But some children are notoriously fussy eaters.

viv38

Yes JJ, I was pulling that face - your post made me chuckle.

I suppose it makes a change from picking your nose and eating it !!

gness

Then she sits at the table until she has eaten up all her scabs, Sandy!

knowabit

I remember when I was at school there was a boy that used to do the same... used to make me feel quite ill!

sandyRoe

Viv38, has touched on the elephant in the room...

EcclesCake

Question Author

Hmmm, we're not really finding a robust argument against eating scabs.......making others queasy isn't going to be adequate for a four year old!

bednobs

hmm i am a scab eater/picker too so dont have any solid reasons to give for not doing it, but perhaps along the lines of other people dont like it so do it in private. A bit like picking your nose - who among us can say we never do it, we just do it in private

bednobs

whoops, just niticed the "related posts"

belrec

i say to mine when they do stuff like that, picking nose/scabs and eating it, playing with bits etc.

Its ok as long as no-one else is watching apart from me of course, as some people dont like to see it.

Then remind them of something they didnt like to see to ram the message home :-)

EcclesCake

Question Author

Speak for yourself Bednobs! I proudly stride through the High Street doing deep nasal excavation and consuming my bounty with relish..........