Children exhibit many bad habits like thumb sucking, nose picking, hair twisting, toot grinding etc. Biting nails is one among those. If your child is habituated to nail biting in the childhood, they may carry this habit to the adulthood.
Nail biting is the most common habit which is observed in all the people ranging from kids to teenagers and adults. It can also make you sick and sometimes the nail biting may cause wide range of serious long term problems.
This article discusses the negative impacts of nail biting. It presents the ways to get your child to stop nail biting.
What is Nail biting in kids?
Nail biting is also known as onycopphagy. It is an addictive oral compulsive habit. Any activity performed with mouth other than speaking, eating, or drinking is known as parafunctional activity. So the nail biting can also be regarded as a para functional activity.
It is proved that the rate of nail biting in the American children aged 3 to 6 years is 23%.
What Causes child to bite their nails?
Your child may bite their nail under various reasons. Growing makes the kids to be exposed to various kinds of feelings and emotions. Nail biting is one of the habit that child uses to cope with their feelings.
Here are a few reasons that make your child to bite their nails:
1. In response to the feelings:
Children often bite their nails when they come across the situations like curiosity, boredom, etc. Kids bite their nails to get some relief, or they may adopt it as a habit or imitate someone biting their nails.
2. For comfort:
Kids treat nail biting as the natural self soothing activity. It offers them comfort when they are playing or when they are idle in their room. The nail biting is the habit that the children adopt as the modified form of thumb sucking. Kids, teenagers, and even adults bite their nails when they need some comfort.
3. Genetics:
There are chances that your habits may be passed on to your child genetically. If you are a nail biter as a child, then you may pass this habit to your child.
4. To get relief from stress and anxiety:
Some situations like stress or anxiety at the school or home may make the child to bite their nails. Here are a few stressful situations that your child might encounter:
- Fights between family members or parents
- Recent loss of a family member, relative or friend
- Parents’ divorce
- Bullying at the school
- Relocation to a new city or home
- Punishments offered by the teachers at school and the parents at home
- Academic pressure
Effects of nail biting in kids:
Here are a few effects of nail biting in children:
- Nail biting may damage the skin around the nails, thereby increases the risk of infection.
- Nail biting increases the risk if infections by passing the germs from hand finger to teeth.
- Finger biting may harm your teeth.
- Severe nail biting may be the sign of extreme conditions associated with the attention and anxiety which require immediate attention.
How to Get Child to Stop Biting Nails?
Nail biting is one of the nervous and anxious habit that the children develop. Parents may not recognize every feeling and emotion of the kids. Nail biting kids usually develop this habit out of the stressful situations. Here are a few tips to stop child biting nails:
1. Know the Reason:
This is the first and foremost step to deal with your child biting nails. Identify the reason why they are biting their fingers and respond accordingly.
2. Distract your child:
Distraction is the best method to help your child give up nail biting slowly. Whenever you find your kid biting their nails distract them by offering their favorite toys. If your child is biting the nails out of boredom, assign them some house chores like watering the plants, folding the washed clothes etc.
3. Cut the nails frequently:
Your kid may tend to bite their nails when they are long. Check their nails and cut them more frequently as soon as they grow.
4. Make your child to find something else:
Make your child to find something else to do with their hands. Keep your child always busy by engaging them in some of the below listed activities:
- Drawing and painting
- Knitting
- Making toys out of clay
- Playing a game
5. Keep your child’s mouth busy:
If they have something to eat in their mouth they are less likely to bite their nails.
Here are a few best ideas to try:
Give them healthy snacks like carrots, or celery.
Sucking mints or hard candies.
6. Don’t yell or punish:
Don’t yell or punish your child for biting their nails. Yelling further makes them to become more anxious. Talk to your kid in a gentle manner about the negative consequences of nail biting.
7. Set Limits:
If your child’s nail biting is bothering you, then set some limits on their habit by asking them to avoid nail biting at meal time.
8. Make your child to wear gloves:
If you notice the nail biting is extreme, then put gloves on your child’s hands. This will help them to give up nail biting in long run. Ask your kid not to rub their eyes when they have gloves on their hands as this may irritate their eyes.
9. Talk to your child about nervous breaking habits:
Begin a discussion about nervous habits with your child and help them with the techniques that can put an end to the unconscious and unhealthy habits. Encourage your child to identify the situations when they bite their nails.
10. Physical reminders:
This is one of the best ways to stop child biting nails. Some kids need physical remainders. Coat your kid’s nails with some bite averting solutions, keep some bad aids or nail polish. Tell your kid not to rub their eyes with fingers that are coated with Thum as it contains cayene pepper and acetone that offer strong pungent chemical smell.
11. Help them to deal with the triggers of nail biting:
The most common nail biting triggers are anxiety , and stress. Help your child with the techniques to deal with the stressful situations. Teach them to take deep breaths during the times of anxiety and stress. Make your child to do exercise and yoga early in the morning. Encourage your kid to do more physical activities that help them to attain control over their emotions.
12. Praise the positive behaviors:
Whenever your child is moving towards the right positive behaviors praise them and offer the rewards that encourage them to give up negative behaviors. Encourage them to build and develop healthy habits.
13. Encourage your child to take care of their nails:
If your child like their nails they less often bite their nails. Here are a few best strategies to try:
Encourage your child to keep their nails short
Ask your child to eat the food that are rich in calcium and magnesium for the health of nails. The foods like milk, eggs, and nuts allow the nails to grow more quickly.
Do manicure for your child’s fingers
When to see doctor for nail biting in child?
Here are a few scenarios under which it is essential to sees a doctor:
- Any bleeding from your child’s nails
- Redness or soreness around the nails
- Poor alignment of the teeth
- The transfer of infections or virus from the nails to mouth
In conclusion, help your kids to break the habit of nail biting which is unnecessary and anxious habit. Though it is hard to convince them to stop biting their nails, there are many gentle ways to help them cope with nail biting and we hope that 13 tips mentioned in this article will help you make your kid avoid nail biting.
