Nail Biting - Coppell,TX

I don't think anything will work. My parents tried to get me to stop, but were never successful. The desire has to come from within. Accept him just the way he is...it could be worse.

Maddie:

My son, Nicky, bites his nails too. I have asked him why he does it and he says - I don't know. So when I catch him doing it - I tell him to socks on his hands. I have asked him if he's upset about something - nope. He's laughing right now watching a movie and his nails are in his mouth.

He has seen a man with really mutilated nails and finger tips - and he told him - THIS is what happens when you bite your nails (he wasn't kidding - he's an adult and has been biting his nails since he was 4 he said).

I just say "Nicky" or tap his arm. I don't belittle him. I don't tell him it's a disgusting habit. I try really hard NOT to make him feel bad about it. That's NOT going to help him or me. Just a gentle reminder - socks or his name.

I am in my thirties and when I am anxious or stressed I still bite my nails. I can go days, weeks without it even thinking about doing it. But one little thing, one small amount of stress and in less than five minutes all nails are gone!

You telling him is disgusting is not helping him. Finding out what has triggered this action is helping.

He could have far worse habits than nail biting. Not that it's not a bad habit but really he's not hurting anyone or himself.

It's connected to anxiety, and then becomes a habit which can be unconscious. I'm 44 and have bitten my nails since I was young. It's super difficult to stop. I'm still trying to stop. He's not doing it to drive you crazy, and he may not be aware he's doing it. Try not to be so upset about it - it may make it worse. See if you can figure out when and why he does it - maybe that will help.

First, try thinking about nail biting as his way of meeting a need. It may be to relieve stress/anxiety or it may be a need to chew or have something in his mouth.

My granddaughter bites her nails. She's now 11 and started in her preschool years. Her parents, her teachers, and I ignore it. She will quit when she no longer needs to bite. She doesn't bite her nails when she's chewing gum. She bites as a way to deal with stress.

My grandson has some developmental and sensory issues and needs to have something in his mouth to help him stay calm and focused. He's been chewing gum, with his teachers' blessing since he was 6 or so. You could try that.

You've tried lecturing and it hasn't worked. Try completely ignoring it. Often ignoring a bad habit will help it stop.

Biting nails is just a habit. It's neutral. It's not bad nor is it good. As other posts have indicated, trying to stop it can be damaging to the child's self-esteem.

I agree 100% with Aunt Mel Mel.
I am 22 years old and have always bitten my nails. I used to bite them so short that my fingers would hurt. I bit them when I was stressed, anxious or nervous. .
Maybe try to figure out why he is stressed or what is making him worry.
Dont waste your time trying to explain to him that is gross or that its bad. My Mom used to tell me I shouldn't and I always told her I wanted long pretty nails like her so I could paint them...but I just couldn't stop biting them!
I don't bite them anymore but now I chew a lot of gum. I am ALWAYS chewing gum...not that you want your child to do that either.
Maybe you can get him to do something else if he is stressed or nervous, not to sure on what to have him do but maybe there is something else :-)
Good luck!

I have been biting my nail for as long as I can remember and I am 31 now. I decided last week that I was going to stop and honestly it is harder than quitting smoking. Your fingers are always there and its not like you have to go to the store to buy new nails to bite. Your son probably doesn't even realize he is doing it.
My 5 yr old has picked the habit up from me and I just started putting the no bite polish on his fingers and so far it has been working for him. I would try that with your son

There is this clear nail polish called No Bite, it's made by Orly I think it's around $6 or so you can find it in a Beauty Supply store or online. The taste is yukky

I know you have a son but the polish is clear....

My 4 year old does too. I'll be watching the other responses for suggestions too!

Nail biting is less about the act but that which it stems from.. Anxiety...
As former child nail biter, I would say that shaming him into thinking he is doing something bad at such a young age isn't a good approach... When I was younger and did live with mom, she too would always say how disgusted she was of it (I internalized that to mean me) anyway... why not sit down with him when you notice him doing it and rather than providing a lecture as to why it's not something you want him to do, talk to him.. find out how he is feeling. I can tell you this, I bit my nails most when I was stressed out.. whenever my mom argued with my father or a boyfriend, this so stressed me.. as did other events.. Maybe something is going on with your son that he doesn't have the words for... Nail biting is up there with anxious habits such as those who pull their hair out (Trichotillomania) and even people who have habits such as smoking and or drinking.. in their case, would you just say, stop drinking.. although that sounds great in theory, let's face it.. they need help with it. a support group... and other things.. your son may need some gentle talking to... There were times I would bite my nails and not even realize I was doing it.. and every time my mom would get so disgusted with me.. when turns out, she was part of my stress and reason for doing it.. sit down and talk with your son... if he can't put into words what he is feeling when he bites his nails..have him draw some pics. I assure you, there is some anxiety behind it. additionally, I have read that nail biting can also be a result of a lack of vitamins and or minerals... maybe he is lacking something in his diet , that could be something you want to explore as well..

Good luck and I wish your son all the best..

For kids I honestly don't know what will work. I've heard dipping their fingers in Vinegar or Tabasco Sauce, but to me that seems mean. I've bitten my nails for over 20 years. I was doing awesome about 2 weeks ago and hadn't done it for a few months. How did I stop? Well my kids were getting colds and stomach bugs and as a mom, I didn't want it because I have to work and I can't be sick when I have kids. So just me thinking about all the germ I would be sticking in my mouth made me disgusted. So I stopped for a few months. I've been noticing myself doing it occasionally now, but I usually stop myself.

For a 5 year old it's so hard because they don't understand. Did he ever pick up the habit from a friend or relative. That's how I picked mine up. When I was 5 and in Kindergarden, I never bit my nails. I started as I got older and mine could have been stress from school or whatever. I know I had a few family members who did it too.

If anything, take him to the dr and see what the dr would suggest.

Good luck. Try to break his habit soon. Otherwise he'll be like me and do it for 20 years and it only gets harder to stop the habit.

Some kids are more oral than others...... they have a need for something in their mouth.

I've been biting since I was five and so far my parents couldn't find a way to deter me. They tried the funky nail polish. Tabasco in my mouth every time I was caught biting. Yelling, a lot of yelling. Smacking me in the back of the head every time I was caught with my finger in my mouth. Trying to scare me by telling me I was going to get sick if I kept putting my hands in my mouth etc. The only thing they didn't try was to clip my nails very short themselves so I never had anything to chew... probably because that would take too much time. They tried a reward chart with stickers and stuff if I didn't bite every day with a large reward to be had at the end of the week.

Nothing really worked for me but I'm an extreme case. In fifth grade I started pulling out my hair in addition to biting my nails and cracking my knuckles and I was diagnosed with OCD (Trichotillomania) so I'm clinical.

You're welcome to try any of the above things my parents did. Though they didn't work for me, you may have better luck. Also, he may just outgrow it without any fuss. My sister in law used to chew her nails when she was young and one day just stopped. So there's always that...