How to Wean Children From Biting Their Nails
If your child bites his nails a lot, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that something may be wrong emotionally, or that he is the only child with this annoying habit. But neither is (necessarily) true. According to Nemours KidsHealth , “Approximately 30% to 60% of children and adolescents bite one or more nails. And sometimes the child may also bite their toenails.” Well, at least they do n’t. However, this is not a habit you want them to continue into adulthood.
Why do children bite their nails?
Nail biting and nail picking is one of the most common “nervous habits” that includes nose picking, hair curling, and thumb sucking . (Technically, nail biting is called BRFB, or body-focused repetitive behavior.) And to my great relief, a kid biting his nails on the football field is usually not a sign of a deeper problem. . Most often, this is an involuntary reaction to curiosity, boredom, or mild anxiety.
(However, according to HealthDay , “if his fingertips are torn and bloodied, or if he is biting his nails, picking at his skin, pulling his eyelashes, or sleeping poorly” in addition to biting, you should see a counselor or doctor.)
Are there any negative effects on nail biting?
Aside from the obviously annoying sight and sound of someone nibbling on the skin of their hands like a squirrel fresh out of prison, there are some potential undesirable health effects. As the Mayo Clinic tells us, nail biting can:
- Injury to the skin around the nail increases the risk of infection
- Raise your risk of colds and other infections by transferring germs from your fingers to your mouth.
- Damage your teeth
So while this doesn’t pose any immediate or major health hazard, you’ll want to nip this habit in the bud sooner rather than later.
Strategies to help your child stop biting their nails
First, what not to do. Bringing excessive negative attention to this habit will only make things worse, so don’t embarrass, punish or shame them by calling the habit “disgusting” or asking things like “Why are you doing this ?” Snapping, getting angry, or slapping his hand will only make him feel like he did something wrong, which will cause even more anxiety.
Start with a discussion in a calm and neutral way, with a comment or a question. — I noticed that you often bite your nails. Does it hurt fingers? Is this something you would like to stop doing?” You’re not likely to get very far until you get their support, so work on that first. If they are unwilling, undue stress or the expectation that they will stop can aggravate the habit. When they say they would like to quit smoking, the following strategies can help:
- Give their hands something else to do : By keeping their hands busy with a smooth “worry stone” to rub them with, toys like spinners, Pop-it, Silly Putty or stress balls, they can keep their fingers active by distracting them. from their normal activities. to habit.
- Use a sticker chart (or calendar) : Place stickers on a chart (or calendar) to visually represent any days (or segments of days, such as “after school” or “while watching TV”) that they don’t bite their nails . can be extremely motivating. Decide in advance how many stickers they need to accumulate in order to receive a small “prize”.
- Pay them in cash . We cannot say if this is approved by the American Psychological Association. But for older kids, money matters. Create a “Nail Biting Fund” and make a dollar deposit for each day they don’t bite their nails.
- Find a substitute : Give your child a healthy alternative to satisfy his cravings. For example, they could chew on celery sticks, apples, carrots, or sugar-free gum.
- Try a bitter-tasting varnish . Try covering your nails with one of the many non-toxic but terrible tasting clear nail polishes that don’t bite .
- Book a Manicure: Offer your child a professional manicure at the salon with whatever polish they want as a reward for not biting (or sooner to see if freshly painted nails work as a deterrent).
- Set the Signal : Use them to set a quick signal that you can use to discreetly let them know they are biting. A funny word or quick gesture that will draw their attention to the behavior without any negative emotion.