Need Help with 3 Year Old Biting Nails

Hi M B
try putting something very distasteful on her fingers every time she starts to put her hands in her mouth. Try teaching her about "nasty germs" etc- Nail biting is something my daughter dealt with until she was older- but putting things like jalapeno juice- paprika or something that is really uchky- helped.
good luck
blessings

My 3 year- old does the same thing, although not only does she bite them, she will also pick at them and peel them. I have not yet found a solution for her. I did want to give a fair warning concerning the nail biting/thumb sucking solution. It WILL STING their EYES. I unknowingly applied it to her and as soon as she rubbed her eyes, the tears and screams started. So I decided to try it out and rub my eyes. It is extremely uncomfortable...think pepper spray! They are still to young to be able to remember not to touch their eyes. Good Luck

Okay, I feel your pain. I have a 4 yr old who does it. She also will chew her toe nails if I don't keep on top of them! I learned this was her favorite past time at nap time at school!! Lovely-- yes I know. Anyway, my daughter developed a staph infection on her bottom and I was told by her doctor that because she bites her nail it increased her chances of infection and reinfection. Wonderful for me, she also is a nose picker (she learned from her grandpa) and that is where the staph colonizes. Yeah, so she picks and ingests and keeps reinfecting herself and we have finally been free of any abscess for 2 weeks since the start of this problem in Dec 08. She has been on antibiotics 4 times now. So, the problem is more than just vanity. I didn't discipline my daughter because I felt the pain of the abscess was enough, but I did let her know that her nail biting helped cause them. Don't know if that had any effect. What did have an effect was that every time I saw her biting, I had her go and wash her hands. Dr. even okayed her using germ X after every potty break or nose picking incident. I sent instructions to her school and they have been wonderful in following the regime as well. She has gotten so tired of washing her hands that she seems to be keeping her hands out of her mouth on her own. I have also found by personal experience, that the germ X tastes awful and since we have started that, I haven't caught her nail biting at all! So, you might try that, but it is hard on you because you have to watcht hem like a hawk and be very consistant. Now, until you get her through with the nasty habit, you can help protect her from getting staph or other bad germ by cleaning her hands with an antiseptic cleaner 3 X a day. I spray Katy's with bactine. The liquid can get under the nail and all around the cuticle, where the soap really doesn't unless you wash like a surgeon before surgery and I have yet to see a toddler do that. Also, if you have the nose picking problem too, then swab (with a Q-tip)her nose morning and night with an antibiotic cream like neosporin. This kills any bacteria colonizing in the nose like staph. *Everyone has stap in the nose, but it usually is in low quantities that the body can naturally control - a fact I wasn't aware of. This swabbing will remove up to 80% after use for 5 days.

I didn't mean to write a novel on you, but I like to try and help if I can. Hopefully your dd won't contract anything, but the process of handwashing constantly will tire her and she will find another method of stress relief or habit to use as her calming agent. That is what my Dr. told me Katy bit her nails for - a calming habit. Hope this helps you and good luck.

As I was readuing your post I was trying to recall if I had posted this myself....

I finally bought some Thum, its the stuff that taste bad. I found it at Wal-greens - everywhere esle I looked including the baby stores did not have it. We talk about how it makes her nails not pretty and we can't paint them until they are "pretty". My dd had the fastest growing nails - cutting them almost 2 times a week before I noticed the habbit one day when i went to cut them and there weren't any to cut. Not only does my dd bite her nails, but she bites her toenails as well. The family and her care provider are aware. we try not to nag, but remind her. I just started the Thum treatments so hpefully in the next two weeks I will notice a change. I have promised a "spa" day and getting them painted like I do. I have long nails and she always thinks mine are pretty. I also plan on getting some vitamins that will help with nail and hair growth for her, hoping that this will strengthen the nails and make them grow a little faster so that she can see results.

I have read that it often begins as a "stress" response - the stress to a 3 year old being that they are not always in control of a situation. You may not always allow them to have everything their way or be willing to pick them up and you probably have started more desipline. This all "stresses" them even though it is something that has to happen. Other children begin twisting or pulling their hair, some revert back to "not being potty trained", others begin picking at their skin or other bad habbits.

I use to get this awful tasting polish put on my nails . . . I think you can still get it look for something called "bitter" or "no bite" . . . probably in the baby isle not the nail polish isle. Or just ask the pharmacist.

It is a nasty habit and she will love you for breaking it later in life . . . my Mom couldn't for years and now my nails are weak and grow funny.

Good luck

Hi! From what I have read parenting books, the bigger of a deal you make out of it, and the more you punish them for it, the more likely they will be to develop a long-term habit of it. For some reason, the negative attention causes it to become more of an obsession for the child instead of a passing phase. I would stop addressing it for the time being and check out some books on it. T. Barry Brazelton has some good advice in " Touchpoints," and there are many others. Good luck!

my 4 year old has started the same thing. her teacher says to make her wash her hands everytime she does it. i've also bought the yucky tasting polish from the drugstore but she is still biting.

It sounds to me like it's a nervous tick for her maybe- you say she does it while watching tv, trying to fall asleep, while riding in the car... all times when she is expected to be still. Maybe giving her something to do with her hands would help?

The no-bite stuff did not work for me. I don't remember my parents getting onto me for biting my nails, and I didn't stop until my early 20s. Yes, I know it's gross, yada yada. I am a very logical person & could not reason myself out of it! It is a very hard habit to break, and I hope someone here can give you advice that I couldn't which may help. For me it is a stress-triggered habit, much like smoking for the rest of my family, and always while I'm sitting still for the most part- watching tv, driving, reading, etc.

Have there been any significant changes in your dd's life? Even at 3, she may be experiencing a stress of some sort which has started this. If you could help her find more productive ways of dealing with it, you may be able to cut off a long-term habit before it really starts.

Best of luck!

Try not to be hard on her. It typically is an unconscious habit. They truly don't realize they're doing it and because of being unaware they can't control it. Try doing a reward system so that you shift the focus on how many times she doesn't do it. Reward her for everytime she keeps her hands out of her mouth. You need to help her become aware of it otherwise the fingers will just keep ending up in her mouth without her realizing it. With that said, sometimes habits can become worse when you focus on them so be prepared. Keeping the nails cut, nail polish, and gum chewing are all great ideas from other responders! Good Luck!

My 6 year old daughter is a nail biter, and has been since about age 3 (she used to bite her toenails, too). Her pediatrician told us that most nail biters do it to soothe themselves, or calm their nerves. She also said that it could be genetic (my husband used to bite his nails but has never done so around her). She would bite her cuticles so low that they would bleed, and she would cry. We bought this cream for nailbiting on-line called "Control it". It was made from all natural stuff but tasted very bitter when she put it into her mouth. I would put it on her hands at night when she was asleep. Initially, it made her mad and she would cry but eventually, it started to work. She would associate biting her nails with that bad taste and catch herself. Unfortunately for us, we tried it too late (age 5)...but I think we would have had better success if we had tried it at an earlier age. Good Luck!

Hi. I was a chronic nail biter as a kid and still do it during stressful times. My mom tried everything--gloves, chili powder, the whole nine yards. The only thing that did work was plain old nail polish. My nails were so pretty that it was enough to keep them out of my mouth. Plus, the nail polish is just gross to chew (sorry, but it's true). Maybe if your daughter gets to pick out the polish, it will help deter her. You could give her a choice of maybe three... pale ones or maybe clear with glitter... something not too flashy if you're concerned about her age. I have a friend who's hubby paints their 3-yr-old daughters' nails. The little girl loves it because it's special time with daddy. Maybe that might be incentive for your little one. Another suggestion is maybe letting her chew gum if she's coordinated and efficient enough to do so. Based on personal experience, nail biting is habit and if your mouth is busy doing something else, it's hard to fit those fingers in. Good luck and let us know what works!

Keep them cut as short as possible and use one of the thumbsucking deterents...if it is REALLY bothering you.

My two year old occasionally bites her nails...especially if I let them go one day too long between trimmings. It seems like I am always telling her to get her hands out of her mouth for one reason or another!

That being said, she KNOWS I don't like it but I don't want it to become a huge battle or some sort of complex. I treat it like I treated the pacifier. There is one place where it is allowed...the bed. So...don't let her do it in front of the TV (turn it off) or the car. Keep your voice neutral and very matter of fact and gently remove her hand from her mouth and then send her in to have her hands washed.

Let her keep it in the bed--with a good handwashing beforehand.