How do I stop my child from biting their nails?
What makes the child bites his fingernails and what does such a habit lead to? How to teach your child to bite their nails? Why is it not enough in such a situation to stock up on anti-biting nail varnish for children or other preparation with a similar effect? What we definitely shouldn't do if we want to wean our child away from nail biting?
Nail biting is a habit that occurs in both adults and children. For children, this phenomenon requires special care and attention, going well beyond the use of anti-chew nail polishes and other similar preparations. Nail biting may be related to experiencing various problems, it may be a signal that something bad is happening to the child. Nail biting allows children (and adults) to release the anxiety they experience. It appears in stressful situations as well as as a result of the tension of boredom.
When the child bites his fingernails...
Onychophagy (nail biting) consists of putting the nails into the mouth in such a way that the nail plate comes into contact with the teeth, and the biting nails tend to completely (leaving wounds) remove their protruding part, often also biting the cuticle around the nail.
Nail biting is one of the most common habitual activities, and affects both schoolchildren and adolescents. However, it rarely occurs in children under 3-4 years of age. Examples of this type of habit in children, but also in adults, include thumb-sucking or twirling your hair around your finger. As children develop, some of these habits disappear spontaneously in children.
Why do kids bite their nails?
When a parent notices that their child is biting their fingernails, they should take a comprehensive look at their behavior. The reason for biting nails may be a child experiencing various situations that are difficult for his psyche. A habit can arise in various situations, e.g .:
- the child starts attending kindergarten or changes school,
- in connection with various life changes (such as moving to a new home, divorce of parents),
- the child is struggling with severe stress.
The basis of strong stress may be harassment from peers, experiencing various learning difficulties. The appearance of onychophagia is therefore often associated with stress, anxiety and loneliness, although the cause is sometimes less complicated. Children can bite their nails also if they are bored.
Expert advises
This is why parents should look at all of their child's behavior when they observe that the little one is biting his fingernails. For if nail biting occurs only when it is essentially idle (e.g. while watching a fairy tale), then it will have nothing to do with the experienced internal conflicts. A habit can be equated with passivity (boredom), it can also be a consequence of poor nail hygiene or a transfer of the thumb sucking habit.
The effects of biting your nails
Malocclusion, stomatitis, gastrointestinal infection? all these and a few other issues should be kept in mind when looking for the direct effects of nail biting. Nail biting in children very often brings not only adverse effects for appearance, aesthetics, but also for health. In children, it leads to health problems, because numerous bacteria accumulated under the nail plate often cause diseases of the digestive system. Putting, often dirty, fingers in the mouth significantly increases the risk of developing one of the diseases of dirty hands - a child who bites his nails may be more likely to develop bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.
Consequences of the lack of treatment when a child bites his nails
Among consequences of leaving the habit of biting their nails untreated in children, you can replace:
- health problems associated with the formation of wounds, infections and infections on the skin surrounding the nails;
- damage to the epidermis and nail plate, complete deformation of the plate;
- leading to complete loss of nails with the long-term habit of biting them;
- dental problems, dysfunction of the masticatory system, bite irregularities, deformation of the jaw, the need for orthodontic treatment;
- transfer to the mouth, and then to the digestive system, bacteria on the hands;
- negative impact on social functioning, because it is behavior treated as unacceptable and assessed as unsightly, rude, treated as immature, indicating nervousness and lack of social competences.
Ways for a child to bite their nails
A very important issue when determining the reasons why our child bites her nails is to look at its overall functioning. Without it, it will be difficult to answer the question of how to teach your child to bite their nails. It is not enough to state the fact and counteract this activity with a preparation such as nail-biting varnish for children. This type of habit or disorder may be behind it the problems mentioned above - stress, lack of acceptance, life changes, traumatic event or experiences. In such situations, it is necessary to visit a specialist, e.g. a psychologist. It is also important to change the circumstances in which the child is biting his nails at a given moment. Parents whose children bite their nails, e.g. out of boredom, can be recommended several ways to get rid of the troublesome habit. There are various nail-biting preparations available in stores for children, the use of which is intended to discourage toddlers from sticking their fingers in their mouths. First of all, they are colorless nail polishes or liquids that have a bitter taste. Another way for your child to bite their nails may be to trim their nails regularly "short". When children get bored and put their fingers in their mouths, you can use various devices that simply catch the child's attention in the world. I am talking about squeezing or crushing balls - playing with them means less chance that the child will bite his nails.
They can also be an ally healthy snacks such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or dried fruit, not only as a source of essential minerals and vitamins, but also a great springboard from putting your fingers in your mouth. Staying outdoors - cycling, scooter, roller skating - is a great way to use energy while your hands are busy holding equipment and keeping your balance. Another option is to keep a calendar in which the child himself will mark his successes each day, noting the day "without biting his nails", for example by drawing a smiling face on a specific date.
Child bites nails - what is not allowed to do?
Consider also what a parent cannot do when a child bites their nails. In such a situation, you have to act gently. Screaming, insistent admonitions, punishments or hitting the child's hands definitely do not help, on the contrary - they can even aggravate the problem. When his parents see their parents feeling irritated or upset about it, a child who bites their nails may feel guilty about it. So she can be very controllable when she is with her parents, and at the same time, whenever she is left alone, she bites her nails with even more intensity. So let's repeat: externalizing nervousness, raising your voice, punishing is no solution, and if nail biting concerns some psychological problems, the effect may even aggravate the already existing disorders. Parents whose baby bites their nails just need to be patient and gentle. A calm approach can really do a lot in this matter. The fact that a child bites his nails is not his fault or a whim, but a problem that parents must solve together with their child.
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