Nail Biting! UGH!

Hi J., I had a thumb sucker that was commited to her habit. We tried every thing and nothing worked. Finally we found a product called Mavala Stop. I had to order it from Amazon and it kind of expensive for such a little bottle (I think $12). But it worked. I put it on her thumb 2 times and it's been about 4 months. I'd only get it as a last resort. It's REALLY nasty stuff and not recommened for kids under 3. It won't wash off and it's really bitter and REALLY NASTY tasting stuff. But it will do the trick.

My daughter began biting her nails around age 3 or 4 and I just figured she'd grow out of it so we tried to just ignore it. Unfortunately, she's 7 and still bites. I'm pretty worried about it these days with all the illness going around (putting her fingers in her mouth several times a day is NOT helpful for keeping healthy). So I would suggest taking action now rather than waiting.

You can get stuff to paint on their nails that tastes bad. We're starting that with my daughter and it seems to at least help a little. But you have to remember to put it on a couple times a day. Another helpful thing I read was to file their nails so they're smooth (this, of course only applies if they have any nails to file!) Often, they bite a nail because it's rough and they're trying to smooth it out. You can get a super-smooth nail file and try that-- I wouldn't use one of those sand-paper ones on his delicate skin.

So both of those things have helped us a bit. Good luck! I'll be checking back to see if anyone else has any new ideas for us to try.

My daughter is a 3 yr old nail biter too. We started using the No Nail Bite a few weeks ago and it has helped a lot. The only place I could find it at was Sally's Beauty Supply.

Keep nails cut and no hangnails, etc. Then everytime you see them in his mouth remind him to take them out in a kind gentle way. Be sure he is keeping busy and not just bored and also try to talk about things, see if he's concerned when he does it or afraid or anything that would cause him to turn to nail biting. Maybe none of those things but it is a habit now. I would be careful that he's not watching scary things ( even to him ) on TV and then if not I would attack it as just a habit. Remind him, remind him, remind him. Give him things to do with his hands. Hope he stops soon as it is a terrible habit. Work on why he's a nervous nelly.

My daughter was a thumb sucker and when we broke her of that she started to bite her nails. She is now 12 and every now and then I have to remind her to get her fingers out of her mouth. (unfortunately her dad is a nail biter) We used a polish from Walmart, I think it is called No Bite. You can find it in the nail section where they sell the emery boards and clippers and such. She hates it and hates having to wear it, but it does get her to stop biting. Hope this helps. Good luck and God Bless.

I was a nail-biter until middle school when I started wearing makeup and jewelry and nail polish on a regular basis. I quit by stopping biting one nail at a time. At first it was all ten, then only 9, etc. I was down to one pinky for a looong time, but I finally stopped. But I was older and doing it for myself. Not sure it's an approach that would work for a little one.

Our daughter is 2 and just started this. I'm not sure what to do about it. At this point, she doesn't think there's anything wrong with it and doesn't understand why we ask her not to do it - it's just another thing to show her independence! :) So I've been trying to ignore it for now. But I don't want it to become a habit either. What if you put gloves on him or something that will make it really obvious to him when he starts to put them in his mouth? Then if its because he's nervous, you can try to find something else to comfort him, and if it's just absent-minded habit, he can be reminded to do something else. Maybe get him a stress ball or silly putty or something to play with in those instances? Not sure if any of those are good ideas. Good luck!