How to Get a Child to Stop Biting Fingertips

According to the Kids Health website from the Nemours Foundation, up to 60 percent of kids and teens bite their fingernails, making it one of the most common childhood habits. Though the specific reason for nail biting is a mystery, Kids Health describes nail biting as a learned behavior that may relieve boredom or provide comfort during times of stress. Therefore, helping your child overcome the habit involves identifying the circumstances surrounding the nail biting, raising awareness of the habit and working out alternative ways for your child to deal with her emotions. Using a practical solution, such as applying bitter-tasting nail varnish, to discourage biting is another option.

Instructions

Identify Triggers and Raise Awareness

• 1

  Observe when and where your child is nail biting. Nail biting may occur at a particular time of the day or around a particular person or topic of conversation.

• 2

  Increase your child's awareness of the habit. Take photos of your child's nails every day for a week or two and then compare the differences together.

• 3

  Ask your child to keep a diary of his nail biting and the circumstances that prompted it.

• 4

  Discuss the habit and the triggers with your child, encouraging her to understand the stressors that are causing her nail biting.

Offer Rewards and Suggest Alternatives

• 5

  Discuss with your child other ways that he can deal with his emotions. For example, your child could squeeze a stress ball each time he felt nervous or uncomfortable.

• 6

  Start a "Protect-a-Nail" campaign by selecting one badly chewed nail to rehabilitate. Encourage your child not to bite this particular nail. Watch together as it grows, and praise your child for her progress. Move on to another nail once this one has fully regrown.

• 7

  Reward your child for not nail biting. Daily rewards can be extended to weekly and monthly rewards as your child conquers his habit.

Other Practical Solutions

• 8

  Regularly paint your child's nails with nail polish designed to discourage biting. This type of nail polish is usually a bitter-tasting, clear liquid that when applied to nails makes biting them extremely unpleasant. This polish is available over the counter from drugstores. Brands include Jessica Nibble No More, Zeva No Bite, Mavala STOP Nail Biting and CONTROL-It.

• 9

  Cover your child's nails with colored stickers, plasters, tape, adhesive bandages or false nails. This tactic will help protect the nails by creating a physical barrier and can be a fun way of reminding your child not to chew on them.

• 10

  Treat your child to a manicure at home or at a salon. Encouraging your child to take pride in the appearance of her nails can make them seem too good to bite.