stop biting their nails

How do you get your preschooler to stop biting their nails? I have tried the bitter nail polish and it did not work for us.

11 Replies
 profile icon
Write a reply

Your child may bite his nails for any number of reasons – curiosity, boredom, stress relief, habit, or imitation. Nail-biting is the most common of the so-called "nervous habits," which include thumb-sucking, nose picking, hair twisting or tugging, and teeth grinding. Address her anxieties. "Our initial response when children do something that worries us is to try to stop the behavior, and that's fine as a long-term goal," Don't nag or punish. Unless your child really wants to stop biting his nails, you probably can't do much about it. Like other nervous habits, nail-biting tends to be unconscious. Help her when she wants to stop. If your child's friends are teasing her, she may be ready to stop – and she'll need your help. Talk about breaking habits. Begin a discussion with your child about what nervous habits are and how it's possible to break them. Help her become aware of the habit. Encourage your child to become more aware of when and where she bites. Agree on a quiet, secret reminder for times when she forgets – a light touch on the arm or a code word. Offer an alternative. Suggest a substitute activity or two. Try – and try again. Explain to your child that different people respond to different techniques, and encourage her to try a variety of solutions if the first one doesn't work. In general, the older she is, the more responsibility she can take in this endeavor.

Read more

When I was younger, I would bite my nails non-stop to an extent when it would bleed because of of the exposed skin. My mother was so frustrated and she had tried all sorts of methods to curb my bad habit like painting my nails with bitter tasting polish and lacing my fingers with lemon juice (which I ended up liking the taste of). What stopped me eventually was seeing pictures of infected nails in a magazine I found lying around my aunt's place. I was 8 and staying over at her place for a weekend and read one of her magazines and there was an article about nail biting and its extreme consequences. It's not the best thing for a child to see but it worked. I have not bitten my nails since and everytime I think about what I saw all those years ago, I shudder.

Read more

I've been a nail bitter for as long as I can remember. My brother also bites his nails, but has mostly broken the habit. I've always believed I picked up this habit from my Dad, as he was a nail bitter also, but I don't remember how I learned the habit. I try not to bite my nails around my kids and thus far, they haven't gotten into the habit. Your kids will pick up some of your habits, both good and bad. There can be many causes though, including stress (new school, etc), so it's probably best to talk to your doctor about it.

Read more
VIP Member

When preschoolers often focus their attention to something like biting their nails, it tends to become habitual. I know it's a bit frustrating to think how he/she will stop doing so, however, no matter how hard you want to make him/her stop, do not ever nag nor punish. Best to just make sure to always cut her nails as neatly as possible so as to lower his/her temptation to bite her nails. Also, make it a point to always clean his/her hands to avoid exposure to germs since he/she is biting her nails.

Read more
VIP Member

Here are some ways to try and see which method works for your child. - give her some small stuff to chew on to curb that impulse to bite. Eg. pumpkin seeds, raisins, etc. - promise her a nice manicure if she grows her nails longer - Protect the nails by covering them with cool neon bandages during times when she nibbles - Give her an emery board so that she can file her nails if the urge to bite is there. I hope one of the methods above work. :)

Read more

My girl who is 6 years old now has some habits e.g. squeeze her ears. When I see her does it, I will gently remind her not to do so. After several months, my girl managed to quit this habit. The key is not to scold or shame your child during correction and provide a lot of patience.

I used a clear nail polish from Sasa. It's to help prevent nail bitting. It works for my kid. Bcos its actually bitter when bitten. N not for long the habit it's gone!

By sticking plasters around her nails! This way she won't be able to nibble on her nails and eventually, her habit will stop.

VIP Member

Cut her nails really short so there is nothing to chew?

thanks