Nailbiter

Yes!! And it drives me nuts. She's 4 and only recently started, but her little fingers are always in her mouth. I have no idea what to do about it so I'm hoping you get some good answers on here! :)

The earlier you break it the less likely it forms into a bad habit more difficult to stop. There is stuff called Thumb that tastes yucky but works. It's expensive, $8 for a very small bottle, but it lasts a long time. If it's a girl, put it on over nail polish so her hands stay pretty. It worked with my son and 1 dtr, the other one still bites her nails. She is old enough to use the Thumb herself but she doesn't use it consistently. IF she can let them grow for 1-2 weeks so they look a little nice she gets a reward of a manicure/pedicure.

Oh --my son has picked up this bad habit and praying that I am doing the right thing...less stress and asking him to please stop...it hurtsme to see him hurt--I am at fault for this...was a very nervous person, but I have now stopped stince my divorce...pray he does also--he is 5 and know he can do it

I don't know when I started biting my nails... but at 32 y/o I'm still biting them. My daughter is a nibbler - not a biter, and I show her my yucky nails and bleeding cuticles to help her stop nibbling. Most time it works, but sometimes she'll still do it.

I personally feel I had ADHD as a child which was never diagnosed, and would definitely solve many of my idiosyncrasies as an adult... I think I bit my nails while I was easily distracted. It was one thing I could do that didn't require attention.

If the friend is the one with the child you've written about already, I refer you back to the thread you've authored and already read. If indeed this is the same child, regular ways of dealing with nailbiting will not work. It is pointless to try to segregate it from this child's other problems...

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/14197569084236955649

Dawn

Well, I am 34 and still bite my nails. So, I am going to read through and see if I can get any ideas. But really....it hasn't caused me any problems in all the years I have been alive so I don't see what the big deal is. If it was causing problems (like bleeding or infections) that's a whole 'nother story.
L.

My toddler was a nailbiter and it was because he didn't want me to cut his nails. We "cured" it by letting him get his nails painted when I clipped them. He was fascinated once by me painting my nails, so I said if you let me cut yours I will paint them too. He ran and got the nail scissors! DH was not happy, but I just said it was this, or antibiotics from infection of him biting his nails. I only had to paint them a couple of times.

My son is a bad nailbiter. I was a BAD nailbiter until I had a toddler to chase and still bite occaisionally.

It's not a habit you can just STOP, you have to REPLACE it with something. Like crocheting obsessively or chasing a toddler around the house. I can't figure out what he could replace it with that wouldn't be WORSE (he stopped on his own for a weeek or so and picked at his lips instead--UGH) and my parents tried EVERYTHING on me, and NONE of it worked, so I decided I will NOT beat my head against the wall on this one!

I DO check his hands every day to be sure he doesn't have any infections brewing though!

My junior high school science teacher told me that it was because as infants we didn't get enough time to suck. Sure enough my mom told me I never took a pacifier. I don't know if that is true or not really...probably just his theory....but I am a nail biter. I can stop when I want my nails to grow out but it's hard.

I have not gone thru nailbiting with my son as of yet, but I WAS a nailbiter ... my mom put tobasco IN nail polish and polished my nails ALL the time. Could not stand spice as a kid but love it again as an adult. If you have a girl try using GLITTER polish, I actually know someone who paints clear polish and then dips their nails IN GLITTER then uses a top coat. I think the thickness of it and the eww of eating glitter and the "Ohhh pretty" may all work together in this situation.

C.:

My 9 year old STILL bites his nails - down to the quick - we have him wear socks or gloves on his hands when he is watching or movie or something like that...when his hands are idle - they go into his mouth.

I have been looking into the "chewing" jewelry - the school counselor pointed it out to me. haven't found one that he likes yet - but as soon as we do, we'll buy it.