My 3 Year Old Son Bites His Nails. What Do I Do?

D.,
My 3 year old did the same thing and I was able to get her to stop. As soon as I noticed the behavior I told her that she needed to stop and if she did I would reward her by taking her to the "big toy store" and get here a toy of here choice (within reason)... Well that proved to tough for a 3 year old to do on her own, so I ordered on-line a product called "Stop" by Mavala for about $8.00, and like magic it worked. it's a clear polish like substance that has a bitter taste. You have to keep using it for at least 30 days, to avoid a relapse.
Good luck

My daughter did that too... from about the same age. Our Pediatrician said toddlers often do that. For our daughter, we found she did it when she was "bored" or it was like a relaxing thing. We simply asked her "why" she does that... and she told us.

In any case, it seems to be a phase they go through. But for us, what we did to prevent it... was to explain to her that LOTS of germs are on the fingernails and fingers/hands... and you can get sick that way and catch colds.... that it's not "sanitary." For our daughter, this REALLY did the trick. She learned about how germs are transmitted, and at the same time, how to keep her hands clean... and out of her mouth. Gradually... she has pretty much stopped. She's 5 years old now.

It may take time. But we found that explaining this to our girl helped. And at the same time, we weren't "fibbing" or bribing her with treats or replacing the "habit" with something else.

Our girl also would bite her nails and sometimes to the nib, and her cuticles would hurt. Well... we explained that it's because she bites her nails and it hurts her. Then we put band-aids on it. She didn't like that it hurt.. .and this also "showed" her that what she is doing is painful. But the explanation about germs and bacteria on fingernails is the method that really worked for us.

Might I add, that my Hubby also sometimes bites his nails... and each time he does this, he catches a cold. He learned his lesson. And, so this was "proof" in the pudding for our girl.

Hope this helps...
~Susan

Hi D.,

While I don't have "sure fire" advice for you - yet - I just wanted to let you know I am dealing with the same, slightly worse, situation myself. :( Not only does my son bit his nails, he also bites/peels the skin off primarily his thumbs but a couple of his other fingers as well!! It is very disturbing because it not only looks awful but painful as well. There's been a few instances where he was eating an orange and the citric acid burned the freshly peeled skin. I told him it was because of what he was doing but he didn't seem to "get it" yet. Until recently I just kept trying to catch him at it so I could tell him to stop.... but last weekend I stopped at CVS pharmacy and they have a nail "polish-type" solution called "No Bite". He seems eager to stop and even prays about it (its so cute). Well, it's been almost a week and I have to say I'm seeing some white at the tips of his nails!!! Yay. His skin doesn't seem to be at peeled but as bad as it is its harer to tell. I have mixed emotions about it because my daughter (now 11) did it at around his age but was only biting her nails and then got over it and now has gorgeous nails. Good luck.

Gosh! I certainly would not call it an "awful habit"! I can think of many destructive habits, and this is not one of them. It is certainly no indicator that he has an addictive or compulsive personality. The kid just turned three. Give him a break, and don't focus on it. I have four kids, and two of them did this. Our pediatrician said it is very common and absolutely nothing to freak out about. It is a soothing or stress-relieving technique that many small kids experiment with. Our doctor said not to make a big deal out of it - making an issue of it would only reinforce the habit and stress everybody out more. MINIMIZE! Stop worrying about it and he will grow out of it. Do what you can to be his soother and his source of relieving stress. Allow him the time to move through this phase. And if he doesn't stop, so what? Are you a perfect family where nobody has any habits that might be considered "bad" by others? My former nail biters are now in their early 20s, and I am so glad I took our pediatrician's advice because he was exactly correct. Raising a child comes with enough real issues without creating extra. Enjoy your little guy, snuggle him, soothe him, and save the stress for his teen years.

1 of my kids bit his nails at 3. I tried that nasty tasting nail stuff-as soon as he'd wash his hands it was gone. And I have other things to do, painting nails all day is not going to happen. It stopped on it's own.

good luck

Biting nails can be a sign of obsessive compulsive disorder. I don't want to alarm you but if you have other family members that display compulsive behavior like hand washing, must perform rituals like counting or certain body movements, or must check that the door is locked a dozen times before leaving the house, then there could be a genetic component to the behavior. I am a life long nail biter from toddlerhood. I have stopped at various times in my life, like when I got acrylic nails, or I taped the end of my fingers. Yelling at me, shaming me, nothing would stop me. I had to want to stop myself. However when a time of stress became overwhelming, off came my nails. The only time I didn't have to worry about it was when I was on antidepressants or antianxiety medication. Two of my children also had the same problem. One seems to grow out of it and the other got acrylic nails and that seems her solution. If you try the other peoples suggestions like bad tasting nail polish, dental devices, etc and they don't work, then you may have a situation like mine. I am 55 and still fighting the urge. The longest stretch I went was 11 years without. Nothing anyone did as a kid could dissuade me. So good luck, but please do not yell or shame the child. It won't work and may make him more stressful. It is a stress releasing mechanism and is very addictive. You might want to make sure that your son has lots of physical acitivities outside and inside to keep him busy. If he is tired but not bored it may pass. I don't know what else to tell you, except what I have personally experienced and my own children. Good luck and don't stress over it. If the finger is bleeding, may I suggest that you use the very heavy medical tape to wrap over the bandaid to really secure it on the finger so his teeth can't get it off?

my kids never sucked their thumbs, but i would manage the nail biting thing the same if they did. what my kids do do is bite their nails. however, sounds like not as much as your son. my oldest is 7 and she has the strongest urge to bite her nails. it has gotten much better. it took lots of gentle encouragement with LOTS of reminders anytime we saw her biting them. one of the biggest impacts for her was when her dentist told her that she really needed to stop. she herself likes to follow directions--especially when it's doctors, dentists, teachers.

has your son been to the dentist? if not, he is definitely due for a check up. most pediatric dentists can tell by an oral exam if your son bites his nails. but you can be sure to mention it to the dentist.

Dear D.,

Well, my son used to bite tiny holes in his tee shirts and sheets. No kidding, I didn't know what to do, but to try to make him feel more confident and less anxious. I think that maybe you should find something that he loves ...let him help you pick it out. Something for a going to bed buddy. Then he can bite the buddy. I don't know. Maybe someone else can give you better advice. C. N.

My son started biting his nails when he was about 7 years old. I'm not sure where he picked up this bad habit but he usually did it when he watched tv. I broke him of the habit but putting socks on his hands when he watched tv and also talked to him about the damage nail biting could cause. It took a while but he eventually stopped. You may also want to talk to your son's pediatrican for other suggestions. Good luck.

Did he use a pacifier prior to this nail biting? If so, let him have the pacifier at night until he is ready to give it up. Better that, then chewed fingers. Is he really tired when he goes to bed? Sometimes because a child cannot go to sleep, they will chew, sing, roll their heads, etc. to help them fall off to sleep. If he isn't tired enough at bedtime, stop giving him naps if he has been taking them. Physically get him more tired. Hope these suggestions help.

E.:)

My daughter sucked her thumb until she was 5 and we had an orthodontist fit her with a special plastic cap that prevented it. Coupled with a reward chart she stopped almost immediately.

sometimes children (and adults for that matter) bite and chew their nails or hair or other odd things because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Look for other signs of this on the surface of the nail; are there vertical or horizontal lines or ridges running across the surface of the nails? is the surface smooth or grainy? is the color consistent and rosy in the nail bed with a clear distinction from the top part and any nail there may be extending beyond the nail bed? you can also lok at your childs hair for clues as well. If you dont see any reason to believe that your child's habit is due to nerves, fear, anxiety, stress, mimicking, then you might want to check with your pediatrician to make sure that he is getting all the minerals he needs in his diet.
Good Luck