Nail Biting - Charleston,WV

As a former nail biter, it is very difficult to get it to stop. There are all kinds of products and things you can do but I would recommend getting to the underlying problem. I was a very nervous child, quite, obedient but nervous. Is there something going on at the school that is triggering this behavior? Is it possible to change schools?

Find out what is causing your granddaughter to be nervous. Then give her strategies to coup with the stress.

I tend to think biting nails is a result (in part) of anxiety... having come from a long line of family members who bite their nails and or pick at their cuticles... I definitely think anxiety plays a role.. often, people bit their nails WITHOUT even realizing they are doing.. kinda like a nervous tick.. no anyone who has one, perhaps someone who constantly pushes back their hair (just an example) those people do those things without realizing how often they are doing it. Additionally, I have read that mineral deficiencies can cause one to bite their nails (see writings by David Wolfe)
I was a nail biter for MANY years and as a young person once had to go to the doctors because I had made my finger bleed and hence, it got infected.. however, even after all that, I still picked at my nails.. actually I was about 5 or 6 when I did that.. Looking back now, I see that as a kid nail biting was something I did AUTOMATICALLY.. even if someone would tell me to stop.. It was so ingrained into my daily life.. I am not sure that when someone is that young you can get them to become more present and take deep breaths so as to get in touch with their habit of biting.. BUT.. you might keep an eye on her. she says she is bored... however, can it be apart from boredom, she has anxiety around school.. did something happen that you aren't aware.. it neednt have happened at school either, could be it's just where the behavior has now manifested itself.. in times when I have to sit still... and IF I am not feeling calm at that moment, I will start at my nails.... often, I do it without even realizing, then I have to catch myself...
I do wonder if your little GD is feeling ok about things.. it's worth talking to her.. don't make it about nails though.. just get her to talking in general.. see if you can get her to open up a bit more. also, has the teacher noticed a behavorial chances? I know nail biting seems like some old habit one can break, but behind every nail biter is often some sort of unresolved stress.. it can be little or large amounts.. there is something going on.. it's like that person who smokes and has to have that first puff to ease their tension.. ahhhhhh well the nail biter also wants relief... and believe it or not... something about picking at their nails can bring that relief.. some will scoff at the idea.. just as some do who are might see an overweight person and say, well just stop eating.... if habits such as food, nail biting or what have you were so easy to break, wouldn't most people have done it by now..
I would try and do a bit more detective work and even get your GD to draw pictures of her day at school.. might be surprising what you can find out.
best of luck

It sounds like a nervous habit to me. Probably a soothing/coping mechanism for stress/anxiety.

I don't know if there is any way to stop it, but her haps introducing another mechanism to deal with things may be helpful.

Bit my nails from a very young age, the result of nervousness and boredom, and tried many tricks ON MYSELF, including using my allowance to buy nasty-tasting stuff, in an attempt to break my own habit. It's not easy, and nagging from my mom only made it harder. So, it's possible she's stuck with it until she decides to find her own way to stop.

Here are a few tricks that helped me when I was ready: I carried a file and kept nails smooth so there was no starting point for nibbling or tearing; I found a seashell and a smooth stone, which I chose because they felt "just right," to carry in a pocket. I'd handle these when I felt the urge to chew. I also learned to dig little ridges and dents into the edges of a piece of scratch paper, or a styro cup if I happened to have one in hand, to satisfy my fingernail's "needs" to be stimulated by biting or digging.

A friend of mine also reported that chewing gum gave her teeth something to do, but that probably can't be done in most classrooms. At any rate, there is a distinct need for stimulus that some children experience, and finding acceptable, non-damaging alternatives can help.

I hope you'll steer her away from nail polish, which has unforgivably toxic ingredients. But a nail buffer can give a similar shine which can make a girl proud of her nails.

I agree that you need to tackle the nervousness/anxiety also. I have bitten my nails for as long as I can remember, until I got pregnant, and mine was always a product of my anxiety. Even at the age of 5. Your granddaughter obviously may be different, but my biting was anxiety related.

As for the habit itself, I never stopped until I got pregnant. I think it was a combination of the prenatals and hormones giving me nice strong nails for the first time, and also my hormones actually helped my anxiety. The things I did as a kid that helped were putting bandaids on them as soon as I walked in the door and left them on while at home. And also, having smoothe manicured nails. I will leave mine alone as long as there are no rough edges to feel. So maybe giving her a little manicure daily to smooth away rough edges, and keeping polish on them, even just clear.

Bribe her...yes I said it, bribe her. Last year, my then 4 year old started biting her nails. They were all ragged and down to the skin. I told my mom about it and she said, "honey, take her to the store and let her pick out a pretty nail polish and tell her that if she can stop biting her nails and let them grow a little, we can paint them." It took one week and my daughter had nice smooth nails with a touch of glitter on them. she loved it, and to this day does not bite her nails. She can't wait for Summer when I will let her paint them again (I don't let her have nail polish on at school). She has already started looking for a new color. Was it a nervous habit? I don't know, but it was a habit and she broke it. Good luck!