5 Ways to Control Nail Biting in Kids
Nail biting is a common habit that many kids develop, and statistics reveal that around 50% of children between 10 to 18 years of age have this habit, and it can be annoying and stressful for a parent to deal with.
While there may be different possible reasons for it- right from boredom and comfort to stress and anxiety, there are some actionable steps that you, as a parent, can take to discourage nail biting in your kid. Read on to know more!
Talk to Your Child
One of the simplest yet easiest ways to tackle nail biting in kids is to address his anxieties and detect if there are any particular causes or triggers that lead him to bite his nails. Some kids tend to start biting nails when exposed to stressful situations, or when they are unable to do something. Sit down and discuss ways in which you can help your kid learn different positive outlets for his concerns.
Get Real About the Germs
Another effective trick is to discuss with your kid about how there are germs under his nails, and how biting nails could cause the germs to enter his body easily, which may increase his risk of falling sick.
Offer Reward
This one’s a no-brainer, and it almost always works. Offer your little one a small reward in exchange for not biting his nails. It doesn’t have to be grand or something that could have him hooked. It can be as simple as a movie trip or his favorite homemade dish.
The Awareness Trick
This one’s one of the most tried and tested techniques when it comes to helping your kid stop nail biting. You can try applying nail paint on your kid’s nails or wrap a little bandage around his fingers as a reminder of how he should not bite nails. It will make him aware of his habit, and will definitely help him take an active step to tackle it.
Suggest an Alternative
Another great trick is to suggest your kid a substitute activity to try! If your kid is biting nails due to stress, get him to try some relaxation techniques or even just grab a stress ball or play with a fidget spinner.
Great tips! I am still struggling with biting my nails as an adult :/
Hoping some of these tips will help you:)
Suggest an Alternative is the best advice to get, one habit should be changed for another, hopefully for good one!
For sure!
A better distraction always helps, definitely lots more out there than before.. I had this nail biting issue as a child too, usually it is a phase, which was for me too
I was a nail biter for many years and into adulthood. I started getting my nails done and they looked so nice I did not want to destroy them or waste my money by destroying them.
Any motivation is good!
Thank you for the tips A fidget bracelet might also help
Good idea as well!
With some of my kids it was just sucking their thumb or fingers – not good for their teeth at all. I took my thumb sucking son to the pediatrician for his normal check-up and mention his thumb sucking to him. The Dr talked to him and suggested I put a nasty tasting varnish on his thumb and if that didn’t work them for him to wear tied on gloves at night. He just sucked off the varnish and kept on sucking his thumb so I sewed mittens for him that were tied on at night – even that wasn’t a huge success and he was well into his teens by the time he really stopped.
I had this problem and I also chewed on my lip but I’m not sure how I stopped