Stop nail biting: you should know that

Nervous habit of nail biting

Nail biting is a very common phenomenon. It is one of the so-called “nervous habits”. About a third of all children and young people do this and in most cases it is harmless. It usually goes away on its own during puberty. Still, you should keep an eye on the matter. By chewing on the nails, the risk of infection from vulgar warts increases, because your child’s immune system is not yet mature and therefore susceptible to warts. However, if your child is biting their nails excessively, it could be a sign of very high anxiety and you should react. This also applies if your child bites their fingertips until they bleed. In this case, it is better to ask a pediatrician for advice.

What happens in your child when they bite their nails

If your child bites its nails, it can have different reasons: out of boredom, out of curiosity, out of stress or out of habit. For example, when it comes to a new environment, it is nervous and tries to relieve stress in this way. Your child’s nervous system is still very thin at this age. If your child is embarrassed, it tries to bridge the situation by chewing. It could also start nibbling on its fingers when it is overwhelmed, which helps it relax and calms its nerves. Or your child watches an exciting program and thoughtlessly bites his fingernails. In these cases you don’t need to worry. Your child will most likely stop doing this on their own at some point. At this age it often happens unconsciously.

When nail biting is compulsive

It’s different when your child compulsively bites their fingernails. This nail biting is painful and a symptom of aggression and self-mutilation. This could indicate a great acute anxiety, a neuropathic disorder or an incipient psychosomatic disorder. In addition, serious inflammation could develop. It is important to find out why your child is hurting himself. Possible reasons would be a hospital stay, separation of the parents, the birth of a sibling, problems in kindergarten or a moment of shock. You can bring in professionals like your pediatrician to help you find the root cause.

How should you react when your child bites their fingernails?

• Don’t scold or punish: Nervous habits happen unconsciously. It doesn’t help your child if you scold him. Your child doesn’t even realize they’re chewing their fingers. If you punish them, you add to the stress. Your child should not have to be ashamed of chewed fingernails, otherwise you will build up additional pressure.
• Wait and be patient: Remember how difficult it is even for adults to break the habit of finger chewing. Better ignore this habit and give your child time. Most children stop doing this on their own.
• Keep fingers busy: Give your child play dough, a squeezable ball, or something else to keep their fingers busy.
• Observe your child: On which occasions does your child bite its fingernails? If you know the trigger(s), you can help your child find other ways to relieve stress and seek alternatives.
• Talk to your child: If you know what triggers this behavior, then you can talk to your child about the situation. You can reduce fears together and look for alternatives. You cannot stop your child from biting their nails against their will. It is better if you win it over to this work and it works with you.
• Praise your child: If your child has experienced a typical stressful situation without chewing their fingers, you should praise them. This is how you encourage your child not to get used to this habit in the first place.
• Cut fingernails short: If you regularly cut your child’s fingernails short, they have much less opportunity to nibble on their fingers.
• The nail polish trick: You can buy bitter-tasting special nail polish in the pharmacy. Whenever your child puts his finger in his mouth, he tastes the bitter taste and stops nibbling. The downside is that the taste goes away as soon as your child washes their hands, and they figured that out quickly. If you use this polish, make sure you don’t use it as a punishment, just as a reminder for the child. He notices the bitter taste and then immediately takes his fingers out of his mouth.
• The glove trick: put gloves on your child. Then it cannot nibble on its fingers. Whether you use cloth gloves or plastic gloves is secondary, as both have the same effect. You can draw a funny face on your child’s nail and then give it a name. When it has its fingers in its mouth again, “Thumb Max” can remind the child with a funny voice that he doesn’t want to get wet after all and wants to get out in the fresh air again.
• When to ask a professional: If your child is experiencing pain or inflammation from nail biting and still finds the habit calming, then this is an indication of a deeper problem and you should definitely look into the causes. The support of a child psychologist may be helpful here.