About 25 percent of parents say that their kids between the ages of 2 1/2 and 6 bite their nails, according to Carolyn Schroeder and Betty Gordon in "Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Problems." To keep your tyke from this destructive habit, you can try a bit of behavioral therapy or apply harmless, but unpleasant-tasting, substances to her nails.
Identification
Nail biting refers to the actual act of biting fingernails, as well as chewing them, picking at them or biting at the cuticle. Schroeder and Gordon note that nail biting increases around age 6 and usually gets worse during adolescence, when up to 45 percent of pre-teens and teens bite their nails.
Reasons
Schroeder and Gordon also note that kids who bite their nails are trying to relieve tension or stress; they may also be using the act of biting their nails as a way to focus and concentrate. In "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care," Dr. Benjamin Spock and Dr. Robert Needlman suggest talking to your child about the pressures she's facing and trying to help solve those as a way of solving her nail biting. Your child may feel nervous in school, for example, or she may feel jealous of a sibling or friend. Stressors can also include violence on TV or too much scolding at home, they note. If you can relieve your child's anxiety, she may not feel the need to bite her nails as often.
Effects
You should stop your child's nail biting as soon as you can. Schroeder and Gordon note that excessive and repeated biting can scar the nail as well as leave it open to infection. The act of nail biting can also actually shorten your child's tooth roots because of the constant pressure applied to the nail surface.
Behavioral Therapy
The most effective way to stop nail biting is to offer your child a replacement for dealing with his stress and anxiety. Schroeder and Gordon note that habit reversal cures nail biting approximately 40 percent of the time. To use this technique, you need to help your child become aware of how often he bites his nails, and prompt him toward a different physical action such as making a fist or clenching an object such as a stress ball.
Nail Modifications
You can call attention to your child's nails to help raise awareness of the bad habit. BabyCenter.com advises decorating nails with stickers, covering them with adhesive bandages or wearing gloves.You can also dot your child's nails with bitter-tasting substances to discourage biting; Schroeder and Gordon note that this solution works about 15 percent of the time. Commercial products include Bitrex and Thum; home remedies include lemon juice and mild hot sauce. Rubbing nails with freshly cut garlic may also have a discouraging effect.
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