How To Prevent Nail Biting In Children
How can I prevent nail biting in children? You’ve probably asked yourself this question a million times. The fact is that onychophagia, better known as nail biting, is a very normal thing during childhood.
There are many instances where parents think that their children are biting their nails to get their parents’ attention. However, that is not true. Most kids bite their nails unconsciously, in other words they don’t even realize they’re doing it.
There’s no point in getting mad or even pushing their fingers away if they keep nibbling. Below we present some ideas to help prevent nail biting in children.
How to prevent nail biting in children
Using Dialog
The first way to prevent children from biting their nails is to talk to them. As we’ve said before, there’s no point in yelling, criticizing, or threatening your kids if you see them biting.
It is important to understand that in most cases nail biting is a symptom of stress or nervousness. It may be related to environmental factors or to a child’s personality. Therefore, scolding children for biting their nails will only make them more anxious and therefore make things worse.
Instead, calmly and peacefully ask your children what they are thinking about at the moment and how their day was. This will help you discover if something worries or upsets them. When it comes to children, nail biting is usually due to three causes.
unrest
So when it comes to kids biting their nails, dialogue is essential. Find out what worries your child and try to find a solution to the problem he or she is facing.
Association
Often nail biting is associated with a specific activity that children perform, normally as a distraction. Watching TV is a well-known example. In this case , we need to check the times when our child bites his or her nails and explain why it is a bad habit.
Imitation
Everyone knows that childhood is a time when children mimic everything they see happening around them. Below we explain how you can help children who bite their nails out of imitation.
Preventing nail biting in children who do this out of imitation
The mirror in which they see themselves
It is a fact that nail biting is more common in children than in adults. That said, there is a high percentage of individuals who continue this habit into adulthood.
If you find yourself in this group, there are two things to keep in mind. Children, first of all, copy everything that happens around them, especially the action of their parents.
If you see your little one biting your nails, he will follow suit. The first thing to do is to avoid biting your nails in front of your kids.
Second, to help children overcome this behavior, you should do the same.
How? We recommend that you propose a game between you and your child. The person who catches the other person biting their nails makes a specific gesture to the other as a reminder to stop.
In this way , children take more responsibility for their actions and feel complicit in their parents. At the same time, they are likely to do the same when they see their parents overcome their bad habits.
Use other activities
As parents, we spend hours and hours observing what our children are doing. That means nipping nail-biting in the bud before it becomes a habit.
To do this , as soon as you see your kids with their fingers in their mouths, imagine an activity that requires them to use their hands.
For example, painting, drawing, putting together a puzzle, building a tower, playing with dolls, etc. Use whatever option is closest to your kids so they can occupy their hands as quickly as possible.
Show them your nails to prevent nail biting in children
If you don’t bite your nails yourself, explain it to your kids and show them your hands. That way they can see the benefits of beautiful, healthy fingernails.
