Why does my 2 year old brother keep trying to eat things that aren’t food and stick things in his ears and nose? It just seems kind of dumb to me.

Your little brother is exploring the world around him. He doesn’t know what is edible or what should or shouldn’t be put in his mouth, ears or nose unless someone tells him he shouldn’t do it or, that it is bad or possibly even dangerous. Kids will test all limits unless they get hurt or are stopped. I knew a little girl who decided she wanted to stick a red hot up her nose. She found out very quickly that it wasn’t such a great idea and that red hots don’t belong up your nose, when it dissolved in her nostril and really burned the inside of her nose. Luckily she wasn’t hurt and she didn’t inhale it into her lungs. When I was two my older brother got me to stick a pea up my nose. I was terrified once it was there and to this day I can’t stand things near my nostrils. Kids learn by watching, by being taught and sometimes by trial and error. Your little brother is not being dumb. He is just finding out about the world around him. You can be a real help to your parents and your little brother though by helping to teach him what he can or can’t do. If you see him sticking something potentially dangerous in his nose, mouth or ears, take it away from him, tell him NO, or quickly let one of your parents or an adult know. You will help him to learn that way. Mama Nono