How can I get my 3-year old to stop biting her nails?

Question

My daughter learned this nasty habit from her father! He's bitten his nails since he was a child and wont stop for anyone, despite my anger about it or the affect it has on our kids. He is TRYING to be more careful about biting them while she's around, but he still does it when she can see. I cannot get him to stop. Can I get my daughter to stop? I tried the bitter stuff for almost a month now, and though she has cut down, she still bites them. I am continuing to punish with time outs and have tried spanking a couple of times, but nothing works. Other than getting a divorce and getting sole custody (lol) is there ANY hope of dealing with the problem in my daughter while she is still young?

Answer 1

Nail biting is one of the most common childhood habits. Some studies estimate that 40% of children between the ages of 5 and 18 chew on their nails!

Nail biting, like most habits, often disappears on its own as your child outgrows the urge to do it. In the meantime, avoid threatening or punishing your child - these tactics usually backfire. Instead, tell her why you don't like the behavior and offer her rewards for self-control. Many stores sell foul-tasting substances to put on the nails to discourage biting, but these usually become less effective over time.

Your child may bite her nails when she's under stress, so try to see if there's a pattern to her biting or events that seem to trigger the habit.

For more information, check out these articles.

Answer 2

This may not help at all. I am almost 50, and have been a nail biter since the age of 2. People say, "she got it from watching so and so," not true. Nail biting is from being under extreme stress. That is a fact. No amount of nail bite preventing product stopped me either. As a professional adult, I saw the effects my nail biting had on the way other people saw me and how horrible my hands looked. I was ashamed of them and began having nails put on all the time. I now wear overlay on them. I have come to grips with the fact I will always be a nail biter. I just care about it now. Good luck to you and be careful with the nail biting products, some are not healthy and can cause cancer. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Answer 3

I had the same problem with my son who is almost 5, like u I tried spanking, timeout, and other remedies that did not work. Finally I told him that Superman does not bite his nails, because if he did his fingernails would fall off and not grow anymore. In ur daughters case I would polish them a light color (age appropriate), and show her how pretty her nails can be. The two of u should get ur nails polished together. Talk about her favorite character's nails and how pretty it makes her look. Teach her to be proud of her nails, and explain how girls don't bite their nails, because of all the germs.

Answer 4

There is absolutely no reason for being this anal about it. It's not hurting anybody. It's a habit and it may be life long or may end when she's a teen; time will tell. In the meantime be thankful everyone is healthy and happy. No life threatening illnesses that would make your issue seem not a problem at all. There will always be someone worse off than you. Appreciate the life you created and all the things that make your daughter her. Life is too short for trivial issues.

Answer 5

mix some hot sauce with nail polish and paint her nails with it. Another idea I have is possibly swiping her nails with nail polish remover. There will not be enough to hurt her, but it contains a special chemical to make it taste really awful and stop kids from ingesting it. If you are convinced that neither of these will work, try punishing her by making her wear those little stretch gloves all the time. She'll be embarrassed, and she will have no access to her nails.

Answer 6

What is it hurting? I mean unless she bites them until she bleeds. Make sure you praise her for NOT biting them. I don't know if timeouts will work for something like a habit. Try buying some cheap $1 poker chips,and make sure you make a big deal when she's not doing it. Plus ,keep her busy doing other things,so,she doesn't have "idle hands." Or how about painting them pretty,and then tell her not to bite the polish off?

Answer 7

My son use to do this when he was little! he got into the habit I believe because when he was little I couldnt use clippers on him I was afraid I would cut them so I would bite them off! There is a product out there called THUMB and its used for thumb suckers BUT works beautifully for nail biters as well! its a hot spicey tasting liquid that you put on their nails like clean fingernail polish! But when they go to bite their nails YUK! It didnt take long for my son to quit biting his nails!

Answer 8

Hot sauce, or nail polish remover on her nails.

You could also tell her that there are tons of fecal matter bacteria swarming around under her finger nails , and if she continues to chew them she could end up getting a worm (that is actually true)

Answer 9

i had the same problem with 4 year old and sucking his thumb. what you want to do is put some hot sauce, and when she bits her nails she will get that taste in her mouth and will stop after 3 time min.

Answer 10

Children like to play with makeup, so maybe you could encourage her to grow pretty nails by wearing nice nail polish. That could dissuade her from biting them.