A teenager bites his nails, what should I do? A child bites his nails: causes and solutions to the problem. Traditional medicine treatment

You're biting your nails again! - you say irritably to your child. He takes his finger out of his mouth, freezes and looks at you in fear, like a thief caught red-handed.

How to stop your child from biting his fingernails? - this thought haunts you. There is no end to your attempts to stop this.

Have you already tried different ones? traditional methods: mustard, hot pepper, a plaster, a bitter varnish... But the child’s nails are chipped, and his fingers are full of hangnails.

There is a glimmer of hope in my soul that perhaps this will pass with age.

But your colleague is still chewing his fingers. And it looks so terrible!

How to cope with this terrible habit?

Should I do this right now or is it better to wait?

Let's take it in order.

What is the harm of a bad habit?

In order to decide whether to fight these gnawing bugs or not, you need to understand why it is dangerous.

Experts call biting fingernails a complex word - onychophagia. Almost every child goes through a short period of nail eating. How could it be otherwise, because you need to taste everything! Most often, the baby grows, and this passes before it becomes a habit. But for some children, this form of behavior is reinforced, and they get a taste for it.

The habit of biting your fingernails is annoying because:

Most often, onychophagia is accompanied by the risk of infectious diseases. After all, even if a child has “already washed his hands today”, it only takes a couple of minutes to collect new germs. This is an additional risk of catching an acute intestinal infection, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, botulism and even hepatitis A.
Open lesions can form on the baby’s hands, where bacteria can enter, which leads to the formation of inflamed or purulent wounds.
This habit negatively affects the health of teeth and gums.
Onychophagia opens the way for all kinds of worms.
Children who chew their fingers are more likely to experience rejection from peers and have low self-esteem

Now you understand why it is worth paying attention to this problem. But before we act, I want to tell you about the reasons.

Why does a child bite his nails?

Indeed, scientists have found that eating nails causes the release of hormones of happiness and calmness - endorphins and serotonin. They help you calm down and be more resistant to troubles and stress.

There is an amazing mechanism in nature that helps produce these happiness hormones. It's called grooming or self-care.

Do you think only people behave this way?

But no! Monkeys do this! Everything is strict with them. The most status monkeys are scratched the most and for the longest time by other relatives, so they behave more calmly and confidently. Gentlemen don't know a better gift for a lady than giving her a good back scratch before/after/during dinner.

Less status nervous monkeys can only scratch themselves and bite their nails. After all, when the hormone of happiness and tranquility is not enough, you need to obtain it in emergency ways.

Sometimes, in order to somehow calm themselves down, monkeys scratch themselves so roughly that they hurt themselves. We can observe the same behavior in people. When a person has low serotonin levels, they may also bite their nails until they bleed. This is already pathological grooming.

Now you understand that your baby chews his fingers for several reasons.

My child bites his nails, what should I do?

Now that you know about the dangers of such a habit and the reasons that provoke it, it’s time to tell you about weaning technique.

If you are determined to help your child overcome the habit of biting his nails, be prepared for a long journey.

My advice to you is that before you start the “fight”, you need to carry out preparatory work. Think about the situations in which your baby most often chews his fingers. This could be permanent nervous tension, fears, difficult tasks at school, problems in relationships - in the family or with peers.

Don't create additional stress for your child. Yes, you need to fight this bad habit, but at the same time you should not be disappointed in the baby, scold him, shame him, show your irritation or disgust. This will only escalate the situation and exacerbate the need to bite your fingernails.

If you've been on a diet, you've most likely noticed that in stressful situations you want sweets no less, but even more. It is much easier to break down in the face of difficulties - be it a kilogram of ice cream, a cigarette, alcohol or... fingernails.

Let's tune in to the positive and begin to work with onychophagia on two fronts:

identify and eliminate psychological reason, because of which the child needs to chew his fingers;
we wean the baby from the habit and offer him a healthy and acceptable replacement.

So, 10 steps towards beautiful and smooth nails

I recommend first identifying the cause. Observe what emotions precede nail eating and what worries the child. If the baby still goes to kindergarten, play out possible difficult situations with toys. Try to identify the problem yourself.
Create a safe and supportive environment for your child. Try to minimize stress, but don't make it impossible for yourself to try to eliminate it altogether. After all, no one has canceled difficult tasks in the garden and at school, and our goal is to teach the child to effectively cope with psychological stress, and not to keep him like a greenhouse plant away from real life.
Tell your son/daughter that biting your fingers is harmful and what the dangers are. Show pictures of microbes. Watch films about worms. Convey to your child the idea that he can handle this. You and your child must unite in the fight against the main enemy - the habit of biting nails.
Be prepared for the fact that one conversation or a clever trick will not help you forget the habit that has taken root long time. Remember, when a baby eats nails, he receives a dose of the hormone of happiness and pleasure. Therefore, our main allies will be patience and regularity of measures.
Agree with your child that you will smear his nails with bitter varnish or peck with a band-aid. This will help the child control himself better, but not every child will agree to this. It is important to get the child's "yes" and not to use violence.
Instead of demanding that your son or daughter stop biting their nails once and for all, agree on small periods when he/she doesn't do it. For example: “You are such a great guy! You want your nails to be smooth and beautiful. Let’s take 5 minutes today (on a timer) to take care of yourself and not chew on them. I know you will definitely succeed. You're a princess/superhero! And I will help you." And gradually increase the interval: first by 10, then 15 minutes. After a few weeks, increase to 30 minutes, and after a few months, up to several hours.
Create transitional ways to relieve stress. It's great to teach your child to fiddle with the stress ball as soon as he puts his hands to his mouth. Also play more with pleasant textures - kinetic sand, modeling pastes, sand.
Celebrate each new record, encourage and reward your child with prizes for each successful period of the “diet”. These don't have to be expensive gifts. Give verbal praise, make a calendar with stickers for victories, go somewhere together, or play some of your baby’s favorite games.
If a child loses his temper, don’t make it a disaster. Patiently encourage your child to continue on the path to smooth and beautiful nails. Remind him that he is great and you love him regardless of this habit.
Help your child replace bad habits with healthy ones. This may include combing, caring for skin, clothing and personal items. Yes, this will require more patience and accuracy from the child. But nice and healthy care will pay for itself and make the child more prosperous.
Hug your baby more often, because hugs also give hormones of calm and happiness.

Children often bite their nails. This is the most common bad habit for all age groups, so many parents are concerned about the question of what to do if a child bites his nails at 2, 3, 4 years old or even at 7, 10, 12 years old and later. The medical literature uses the term "onychophagy" for this phenomenon. At the age of 6 to 10 years, it occurs in every third or fourth child, and before adulthood, every second teenager bites his nails.

Is it possible to ignore this unsightly feature of behavior? Why do children bite their fingernails? What specialists should I contact to get rid of onychophagia? Given the prevalence of the problem, all parents need to know the answers to these questions.

This phenomenon is explained by a number of objective reasons. Let's look at them.

Stress

Onychophagia is a manifestation of a neurotic state. Often a habit is developed due to worries about moving, a change in the environment, or a change in the usual social circle.

At the age of 3, the child first joins a children's group. Starting kindergarten is a stressful situation for most children. Adaptation is painful. In an effort to compensate for unpleasant experiences and calm down, the child begins to bite his nails.

Starting school is also associated with stress. The child finds himself in a new children's group, the whole rhythm of his life changes. Schoolchildren are subject to significant physical, emotional and mental stress. Therefore, a child at 7-8 years old bites his nails more often than at an early age.

Often a child bites his nails due to a tense family atmosphere. The following can also contribute to the emergence of a bad habit:

difficulties in relationships with peers;
overly strict upbringing with numerous prohibitions and restrictions;
violations of the daily routine, insufficient sleep;
inferiority complex, especially characteristic of children over 12 years of age;
experiences, fears caused by watching age-inappropriate programs and films.

Aggression

Quarrels, conflicts, and domestic violence lead to retaliatory aggression in the child, which unconsciously manifests itself in the development of a bad habit. This can also be triggered by growing up in a single-parent family, or the long-term absence of one of the parents.

When mom and dad scold or beat the baby, seeing that he puts his nails in his mouth, this contributes to the emergence of opposition on his part, aggressive behavior. As a result, the situation only gets worse.

Heredity

If one of your close relatives has the habit of biting their fingernails, it is likely that the child will inherit this tendency. The likelihood of a bad trait becoming established increases if the baby is in constant contact with this relative. He involuntarily begins to imitate, every now and then, taking the nail into his mouth. By the age of 9, this becomes a persistent habit that is difficult to break.

Physiology

Even gradual and competent weaning from the breast or bottle with a nipple is a rather painful process. A mother's breast or pacifier soothes and gives joy to the baby. Having been deprived of these pleasures, the child tries to find a replacement for them. Most often the choice falls on the fingers.

As children grow older, the habit of thumb sucking transforms into a desire to bite their nails. This also leads to some diseases of the heart and central nervous system, accompanied by increased nervousness.

The reasons why a 4-year-old child bites his nails may be the most banal. Sometimes parents treat their child carelessly, do not take care of his hygiene, and do not get his nails in order on time. At this age, overgrown nails interfere with play, cause inconvenience, and the baby begins to chew them. Gradually it becomes a habit.

Boredom

The baby often bites his nails if he receives little attention and is left to his own devices most of the time. A child may start biting his nails at age 9 or later if he doesn’t know what to do.

This happens if parents and teachers were unable to develop an interest in books, watching educational TV shows, and acquiring new knowledge in the classroom. Often such a child is restless, any activity quickly gets boring and he becomes bored.

What to do when a child bites his nails?

This habit irritates parents, caregivers or teachers who scold the child or make comments. This attitude of adults causes additional stress, perpetuates bad habits and a feeling of inferiority. So, a child bites his nails - what to do, how to help him?

Parents' work

Parents should behave with restraint. Shouting and swearing, slapping hands, especially in front of strangers, will only aggravate stress and perpetuate the manifestation of neurosis.

Remarks made in public have a particularly painful impact on children over 12 years of age, who consider themselves almost adults and independent. They need support and positive assessment from their elders.

Young children should constantly feel the care and love of their parents. It is advisable to spend more time together, play, walk in the fresh air. You can make comments only in a soft form, while at the same time trying to interest him in a toy or distract him with something else.

It is necessary for parents to devote a significant part of their free time to their school-age child. Thus, a 9-year-old schoolchild also needs the attention of elders, joint games and walks. Adult family members should encourage interest in educational games, reading, and involve them in doing homework.

If a child of 10-12 years old bites his nails, parents need to find out what computer games and their child prefers movies, which interests him on the Internet. It is necessary to exclude the negative impact of horror films and scenes of cruelty on the fragile psyche, and limit the time spent in front of the TV.

Psychologist's work

A child psychologist will tell parents the correct tactics of behavior. In all cases, it must be taken into account that:

rude remarks and slaps on the hands are unacceptable - this leads to a counter-protest;
You cannot focus on this problem;
It is not advisable to send your child to kindergarten for the whole day at once;
there is no need to set too big tasks for schoolchildren, demand only excellent grades;
You should limit TV viewing to two hours, control the time spent at the computer;
it is important to explain to the baby that the habit can lead to the appearance of worms in the tummy;
Time spent with children should be filled only with positive emotions.

Psychologists conduct special tests to identify the cause of a bad habit. To do this, they are asked to draw family members, peers, and familiar surroundings. The baby will paint areas that cause negative emotions with dark colors. It is important to understand what is happening to the child, and then look for ways to overcome the problem.

Consequences of habit

The habit of biting nails has a detrimental effect on various aspects of life, affecting health and mental development.

External consequences (especially painful for adolescents aged 12-14):

aesthetic defect of nails;
a significant slowdown in the growth of nail plates.

Mental changes most often occur in school-age children. Neurotic personality restructuring occurs around the age of 9 years and older.

During this period, the following medical and psychological problems become established:

attention deficit disorder and;
inferiority complex;
lack of purposefulness and active interests in life;
isolation and embitterment due to the ridicule of other children, the negative reaction of adults;
memory impairment, decreased academic performance.

There are consequences for physical health as well. Often onychophagia leads to the following pathological conditions: the development of helminthic infestations, as a result of neurosis, the development of periodontitis, inflammation of the periungual tissues. Frequent infections, including respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, are possible.

How to wean it off?

First of all, you need to understand the reason for the formation of this behavioral feature and try to eliminate it. How to stop a child from biting his nails at 2, 3, 4 years old and at an older age? Each case requires an individual approach, the joint efforts of parents, a child psychologist and a small patient.

If a child 2-2.5 years old bites his nails, the following actions must be taken:

monitor the length and cleanliness of the baby’s nails, trim them on time;
prohibit people from the immediate family environment from biting their nails in front of the baby;
when trying to bite your nails, distract, speak affectionately, play;
from an early age, instill interest in educational games, praise even for small achievements;
develop fine motor skills by teaching plasticine modeling and drawing;
As an aid, parents can use pharmaceutical varnishes with a bitter taste.

The same tips are effective for weaning a 4-5 year old child from biting his nails. With a student, the approach will be slightly different.

If you want to stop your child from biting his nails at age 9, follow these simple principles. Try to actively participate in his life, take an interest in his social circle and school affairs. You should be praised for diligence in your studies and good grades.

You can teach your child to calm down without resorting to a bad habit. An alternative in a stressful situation can be breathing exercises (deep and slow inhalation and exhalation), clenching and unclenching fists or an anti-stress ball.

A teenager 12 years of age or older with this bad habit especially needs psychological help and support from family members. An attentive and tactful attitude will help get rid of internal and external tension.

You need to praise for any success. Often such children become much calmer, get rid of many complexes, having mastered the techniques of autogenic training and starting to play sports. In addition, for children of any age, parents should serve as an example - their nails should be well-groomed and beautiful.

In advanced cases and in the presence of concomitant diseases, drug therapy may be prescribed:

Sedatives of plant origin.
Nootropic substances, including Glycine.
B vitamins.

Onygophagia refers to medical and pedagogical problems that cannot be neglected. First of all, it is necessary to understand why the child bites his nails, then take appropriate comprehensive measures. If not weaned in childhood, this habit can remain for life, which often causes a lot of difficulties, affects health, and interferes with communication and employment.

Useful video on how to stop a child from biting his nails

The irresistible desire to bite nails and receive temporary satisfaction from this action is called onychophagia. If the skin near the nails is bitten, this is dermatophagy.

The child’s habit of biting his nails is quite common among children of all ages. It often causes a lot of trouble for parents, and not all of them manage to cope with this problem, although some parents consider the habit to be completely harmless and hope that it will disappear with age. But everyone knows that many adults also suffer from bad habits.

Psychologists are convinced that onychophagia not only refers to bad habits, but can be a manifestation of a child’s pathological condition.

According to statistics, children from 3 to 6 years old rarely bite their nails; children aged 7–10 years old suffer from this more often (30%). Oddly enough, in adolescence the number of nail biters increases even more - up to 45% of teenagers, among whom there are more boys. This is explained by an increase in the number of difficulties and problems during adolescence.

Therefore, parents should not hope that the child will grow up and quit this habit. We must fight it - and the sooner the better.

Reasons for the habit

The habit of biting nails is a child’s way of expressing feelings and emotions.

Children can have a number of reasons for developing a habit:

in a state of anxiety;
during periods of depression;
from dissatisfaction with oneself;
during nervous overstrain;
in imitation of someone;
out of boredom;
fear of cutting nails.

Psychologists believe that the habit of biting nails should be classified as a so-called nervous habit, just like the habit of biting a pencil or pen, twisting your hair or wrapping it around your finger in a state of depression or anxiety. This is a way of expressing the child’s emotions and feelings.

Some experts regard this harmful activity as a way to “gnaw at yourself,” to blame yourself in your soul for something. The reason for self-torment can be reproaches from parents for something, parental pressure and prodding to do an unwanted activity, comparison with other children.

If such a habit appears at an early age, then the cause could be any stressful situation: family scandals or parental divorce. A child can experience a very painful feeling of being useless and lonely.

Only a calm, favorable atmosphere in the family, communication between family members without shouting, not in raised voices, and the attention and love of parents can correct the situation. Otherwise, it is almost impossible to achieve success. Mutual understanding and harmonious family relationships are able to rid a child of a bad habit better than any other method.

The frequency of occurrence of the habit of biting nails at 6–7 years of age indicates the child’s experiences related to school. Difficulties in mastering the program and implementing it school assignments, unfulfilled relationships with peers are not a complete list of stressful situations that can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself and the development of a bad habit.

The inner world of children is complex and multifaceted. A feeling of self-doubt, reinforced by accusations from parents or teachers, acute feelings about one’s failures - this is the soil on which a bad habit can be based as a way of self-soothing.

By biting off nails, the child makes attempts to independently get rid of tension and discomfort within himself, often without receiving support from his parents. In addition to calming, onychophagia can also serve as a stimulant of the nervous system when the child becomes bored and subconsciously tries to maintain attention on something when he wants to be distracted.

Parental punishment (physical and psychological), tense family microclimate, and prolonged television viewing can also support a bad habit. Some children unconsciously express feelings of anger and aggression by biting their nail plates, and some express a desire to annoy their parents.

By the way, the cause of onychophagia can be poor quality care of the baby’s nails and hands. If after cutting the nails there are burrs left, the child will try to remove them with his teeth. Some mothers tend to cut their nails very short, and since such a procedure can become unpleasant for the child, he will try to avoid it in the future, and therefore bites off both the nails and the skin near them.

In older children, this bad habit may manifest perfectionism: they analyze the condition of their hands and nails and correct “flaws” in such a primitive way.

You should not treat this problem superficially, getting off with slaps on the hands and remarks or moralizing. They are unpromising, because the child’s behavior is impulsive and unconscious. It becomes a need and becomes an attitude, fixed in the brain.

Nail biting can also be a manifestation of obsessive behavior neurosis. In this case, the neurologist can prescribe complex treatment with medications and give advice on the behavior of parents with the child.

In rare cases, psychologists consider such child behavior as simply a bad habit.

Knowing your child well and observing him in different times, you can analyze situations in which a child bites his nails and determine the cause of the habit. Only after establishing the circumstances of its occurrence can further steps be taken to eliminate it.

What is the harm of a bad habit?

Complications of onychophagia can be:

distortion of the shape of the nail plates, which cannot be corrected later;
damage to the shape of the fingers;
stopping healthy nail growth;
hangnails and bitten skin on the fingers can become inflamed and suppurate;
and cause intestinal infections;
worm eggs, also entering through the mouth, cause helminthic infestations;
development of dental problems: constant load on one tooth leads to inflammation (similar to periodontitis) and loosening of the tooth; It is difficult to treat the complication that has arisen in children;
an unaesthetic habit causes ridicule from peers;
the habit can remain for life and create problems in communicating with other people and even with employment.

How to wean it off?

Parents must understand the power of habit and its dependence on situations. You shouldn’t hope for an instant miracle or a quick result; you need to help the child cope with this obsessive action. You should observe the child and find out what situations provoke the manifestation of onychophagia in him. Having identified them, we must try to change the situation, not the child.

First, you need to stop scolding your child for this bad habit: this creates even more tension. Nervousness and irritation will only intensify the manifestation of the habit, although not in the presence of parents.
Do not treat your son or daughter’s bad habit as a tragedy: an overly violent reaction from parents can become another stress, and the child will bite his nails even more often and more. And some children, realizing that this habit annoys you, will use it as revenge or a kind of protest against some decision (that does not suit him). And then the habit will take root for many years.
According to psychologists, even at the age of 3, prohibitions act in reverse, but not because the child is harmful - it’s a matter of self-esteem and pride. It is they who do not allow their beloved child to agree to your demand. Moreover, the child will use the habit as a weapon of revenge against parents for constant reproaches or punishments. Parents should change their reaction to the habit.
You should not put pressure on the child. Reproaches, threats and prohibitions are ineffective in these cases. Rather, abandoning such methods of influence will lead to the desired result. Love and affection - best ways relieving tension.
You should never raise your voice at a child, and even more so you should not call him offensive words! Children have a vulnerable soul; they take everything too closely. Directions by order will be of no use.
In a calm atmosphere (and if age allows, then in a confidential, unobtrusive conversation), you should try to find out what worries and worries the child the most, and work with him to minimize the causes.
To eliminate the child’s anxious state, it is important to give him more attention and affection, try to do his favorite activities with him, games, go for walks together, etc. By the way, this will help painlessly reduce the time spent at the computer or in front of the TV, because long-term viewing TV programs can be a manifestation of feelings of loneliness and insecurity.
You can try to develop in your child the habit of doing something else with his hands (unnoticeably clenching and unclenching his fists, for example; taking deep breaths several times; rubbing a smooth small pebble you picked up in your hand) during times of excitement and anxiety. This will help switch nervous system to another goal and calm down, relieve tension. In this simple way, you can outwit the brain, which has already fixed the method of calming down.
The baby should be convinced that you will help him cope with any anxiety or fear he may have; all he has to do is come to you and tell you about them.
If there is no possibility of contact with parents at a time of anxiety, you can advise the child to take up drawing so that he can calm down.
You can correct the behavior of your little offspring using a fairy tale, combining this method with other measures. You can come up with a fairy tale yourself with characters that are understandable and close to the child. One of the heroes of the fairy tale had a bad habit of biting his nails (or claws, if it was a bird or animal), and no one was friends with him because of this, he even became seriously ill because he was biting his claws. And another character helped get rid of such a bad habit: he found (with huge obstacles) and put on mittens or socks (or in any other way). And everyone started playing together again.
You can give your child a transforming toy and show him what can be done from it. A child who is carried away by the game will not remember his habit. With older girls, you can do needlework, modeling, beadwork - this will occupy your hands, and switch the nervous system to another goal, and calm it down.
In addition to eliminating the cause of anxiety, you can encourage the child to fight the habit, motivate him to succeed: give a baby ring for his beautiful fingers or something else (long-desired) in the case of whole, unbitten marigolds. A girl can get a professional (decorative) manicure to make her want to preserve its beauty longer. Don't forget to praise your child and pay attention to his beautiful nails and fingers.
Depending on gender and age, find convincing arguments and examples of the harm of such a habit: loss of beauty of hands (for girls), a reason for ridicule (for boys), etc. It is advisable to ensure that the child himself wants to get rid of the bad habit.
A child, and especially a boy, should sometimes have the opportunity to express his aggression: play cowboys or Indians, take part in sports competitions.
In the end, you can buy a special varnish “Nekusayka” at the pharmacy, which has a bitter taste and will help develop the unpleasant reflex sensations from biting your nails. Unlike pepper or mustard, the varnish is not washed off with water. In addition, the varnish contains microelements and vitamins that will help damaged nails recover. The varnish is harmless for children. Every 3 days you need to remove the old layer of varnish and apply a new one. If the varnish is not renewed, the nail will no longer taste bitter and the habit will resume.
For an older child, you can try to teach relaxation techniques: imagine (“show to yourself”) in moments of excitement and tension pictures with nature or memories of your happy event. This method will help relieve stress and calm down.
Praise and encourage your child often. This will add self-confidence to him and help him cope with any anxiety and anxiety more easily.
If possible, you can seek help from a psychologist. Parents should also see a psychologist: after all, most often the reason for a child’s unwanted habit lies in their behavior or upbringing mistakes.
If there are signs of obsessive behavior neurosis (leg twitching, hair smoothing, nervous tics, etc.), you should consult a neurologist and undergo a course of treatment prescribed medicines. Homeopathic remedies can also stabilize a child’s psyche. But under no circumstances should you self-medicate!

Summary for parents

The child’s habit of biting his nails worries many parents, and they rush to get rid of it by any means, but quickly. Some smear mustard or pepper on their fingers, others bandage them or put on gloves, seal them with a plaster, and still others punish children.

The decision to stop a child from biting his fingers or nails is, of course, the right one. Of course, it is easier to achieve this immediately after discovering a bad habit, and not after several years. But at the same time you need to show patience and calm. More often than not, this is not an easy process. But you cannot scold or punish a child for this! Often a child bites his nails automatically, without even noticing it. Try to understand for yourself what exactly most often causes stress in a child, which he is trying to cope with in this way.

Experts consider the habit of biting nails to be a result of stress, psychological trauma (divorce of parents, frequent quarrels in the family, lack of established contact with peers, etc.). As a result, there is a feeling of insecurity, uselessness, and low self-esteem.

The situation cannot be left to chance. In some cases, the help of a psychologist will not be superfluous if the parents themselves are unable to establish the cause that provokes the occurrence of onychophagia. And if all methods have been tried, or in case of other manifestations of obsessive actions, you should consult a doctor - a pediatrician or neurologist. Medications can help relieve feelings of anxiety and tension.

The program “Live Healthy!” talks about how to get rid of the habit of biting your nails:

The health of the family is in the hands of a woman - a Simple Queen in the domestic kingdom

Today I have another case from my life and it concerns a bad habit that is sometimes developed in children and adults. My middle son was “infected” with this scourge in kindergarten, and, worst of all, he passed it on to his daughter. I must say that at that time I had absolutely no idea what to do if a child bites his nails. I read smart books, listened to a lot of “authoritative” advice from experienced mothers, but the result was zero, and the advice, I must admit, was sometimes simply surprising.

Tip #1. Is your child biting his nails? See a psychologist!

IN good books for mothers they wrote that it is necessary to take the child to a psychologist - they say that the baby may have psychological trauma and this way he calms the nervous system. I thought - the child is cheerful and cheerful, plays well, sleeps soundly... What kind of injury? I asked my baby in detail and it turned out that he just... likes it. Many of his friends in the group do this, and he didn’t know that biting his nails was bad...

In general, I dismissed the psychologist - it was not a nervous reaction of the child, but just a repetition of what he saw, which turned out to be quite pleasant. Here was the clue: if the child considers such an activity pleasant, then you need to convince him otherwise, and words and persuasion are unlikely to help here. Prohibiting and threatening is also not an option - this would only strengthen my son’s persistence in biting his nails “at his leisure.” And here the advice of “experienced” ones came to the rescue - experienced mothers who did not do this themselves, but heard...

Tip #2. Smear your nails with...muck

What they didn’t advise me! Sprinkle your fingers with hot pepper, dip in mustard powder, wash your hands with any liquid antibiotic (it tastes very bitter) and the like. They also advised me to buy a special varnish at the pharmacy, which has such a nasty taste that the child will probably look at his hands with disgust.

I thought about my children... Little toddlers crying from a terrible soreness and burning sensation due to pepper or mustard - is this really what I want? And the use of an antibiotic is unlikely to improve the health of the children; I don’t particularly favor medications at all. Special varnish, what is its composition? At that time, 11 years ago, in city pharmacies there was only an imported similar product with instructions in Chinese.

But I still found a solution - quickly and unexpectedly.

A child bites his nails, what to do: a simple method

At that time, I actively treated and used ordinary aloe. Once again, while smearing the roots of my hair with a succulent leaf, I accidentally ran my finger over my lips. A very bitter taste appeared in my mouth, which grew with every second. And how did I forget that aloe juice is so bitter? Then it dawned on me - of course! Here it is, the cure!

I looked at the huge flower that has been growing here since time immemorial. Truly, this plant is unique. How many times has an aloe leaf treated my children’s deep scratches and cuts, saved them from bronchitis and pneumonia, how many times have I treated inflammation on the skin with its juice, restored the thickness of their hair and put their health in order. And if I don’t know what to do when a child bites his nails, why not use this wonderful remedy!

For a week, I lubricated the children’s nails three times a day with an aloe leaf, cut lengthwise. To set an example for the kids, I first demonstratively lubricated my fingers and only then proceeded to touch the little ones.

Along the way, I very convincingly, but without pressure, otherwise the children would smell the falsehood, told a story about poor little fingers who need help. I remember I composed a whole fairy tale, and the kids listened in one breath, and then retold it in kindergarten. Here every mother can turn on her imagination and come up with a story that can touch the emotions of children. I succeeded, which was 90% success.

Important point

There is one important point: if the child attends kindergarten or primary school you need to leave him at home, at least for the first three days of treatment, and mom should stay too.

Firstly, the baby will be shocked by the unusual bitter taste - he may cry, get nervous, get upset and behave inappropriately. It is unlikely that the teacher will tinker with one child and calm him down. At school, even more so - teachers are not nannies, and there is no place for a child’s whims in the classroom.

Secondly, the mother can always captivate the child with some activity so that he forgets about the bitter taste of his fingers. It's also good to prepare in advance. healthy sweets– dried apricots, dates, perhaps even the baby’s favorite sweets (1-2 pieces). Sweet taste will help the child quickly get used to the new situation and not make a tragedy out of what is happening.

Thirdly, at home it is much easier to monitor the child and apply the medicine. After all, after each hand washing with soap, the aloe juice is washed off by half, and the baby can bite his nails with pleasure again.

I had 4 full days left. I took two days off from work (Monday, Tuesday), and started treatment on Saturday morning. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, our beloved grandmother, my mother, came to the rescue. The main burden fell on the first three days, and then it was much easier.

After that, I talked to parents of children who bit their nails in kindergarten. It turned out that many had already visited a psychologist, but no results were visible. In principle, the parents of three out of five children took my advice - they cured their children from this scourge.

The habit of biting nails in adults: how to get rid of it

Quite often, the habit of biting nails is also present in adults. I had an employee at work who had this problem. Svetlana’s nails were in a deplorable state - the plates were nibbled almost to the inner skin and there were constant hangnails on the periungual skin. It was a shame to show such hands, and Sveta stubbornly hid them under the table. She admitted to me that she looks with envy at the beautiful manicures of her co-workers, but is not able to grow beautiful, even nails, because she bites them “automatically”, without even noticing.

I advised Svetlana my proven method - lubricating the cuticles with aloe juice, but difficulties arose. My friend didn’t have this plant and we agreed that my home bush would serve her too. Every day I brought Sveta a fresh leaf, and she carefully lubricated her nails. But adults are not children, and the treatment took a little longer... Then I rightly decided that my dear flower would not survive such a long execution and came up with a new method.

I advised Svetlana to buy a pack of dry wormwood at the pharmacy and make an infusion. When it cools down, simply dip a cotton swab into the liquid and lubricate your nails several times a day. And then, as they say, “the ice broke.” Wormwood turned out to be an excellent remedy - affordable, easy to prepare and very effective!

Pour 1 teaspoon of dry wormwood with half a glass of boiling water, leave until cool and strain. You can use it for a day, then make a new infusion.

Svetlana said that she placed a bowl of infusion near the washbasin and very often simply dipped her fingers into the bitter liquid. She liked it even better because suddenly her nails became shiny, strong and grew quite quickly.

On my own behalf, I would like to add that you should not dip your fingertips in wormwood infusion before cooking. And in general, before contact with products, otherwise they will all be bitter. Otherwise, such a simple treatment has helped more than one adult get rid of the habit of biting their nails.

Health to everyone!

Three times mother Irina Lirnetskaya

You can often see children biting their nails around. For many people this becomes a habit. And even as adults, many people wonder how to avoid biting their nails.

Where does the habit of biting nails come from?

Most often, people bite their nails unconsciously; as a rule, this action acts as a defense against a stressful situation. Oddly enough, the action has a calming effect. Observations show, especially in children, that it may be unconscious: the child simply copies the actions of his friend. This problem may also arise among elementary school students who find it difficult to sit quietly for 45 minutes in class. Some children are distracted by some extraneous activities, while others simply bite their nails. Sometimes this habit becomes an addiction. Even as adults, people continue to do this, but at work. For some, it’s even easier to think this way. However, from the outside it looks ugly, and employees may begin to make comments to the person. Therefore, at a certain point, the question of how to avoid biting your nails becomes acute.

Trying to help your child break a bad habit

It is better to get rid of an ugly and bad habit in childhood. If a child bites his nails, parents should try to find the reasons. They can be different:

elementary curiosity, when, observing something, a child, out of habit, puts his fingers in his mouth;
ordinary boredom, when a child bites his nails, creating the appearance of activity;
again, the situation is in kindergarten or school, when the child has not learned new material, and this led to stress, which entails an addiction;
a stressful situation when for some reason the child’s caregivers or teachers don’t like him.

Parents should never scold their child under any circumstances. They should first try to tell him what happens if they bite their nails. The easiest way is to explain to him that constant holding can lead to gastrointestinal diseases or infections in the mouth if there is even a small wound there. It is important that the child understands the seriousness of the problem, because he most often puts his hands in his mouth unwashed, and dirt usually accumulates under his nails. If such an explanation is enough for the child to carefully watch his hands, then the problem can be solved quite simply. But at first, adults should unobtrusively monitor the baby’s behavior and delicately point out his mistake, if one arises. But if the issue is not an automatic unconscious habit, but a stressful situation in kindergarten or school, then in this case parents, having first found out the cause of the child’s nervousness, need to contact a child psychologist. It will help solve the problem of how to avoid biting your nails.

Visit to a child psychologist

Before visiting a child psychologist, parents should once again think through all the stressful situations that could lead the child to a bad habit in order to facilitate communication between the doctor and the patient. Parents are also required to inform the doctor about attempts already made to get rid of the bad habit. A child psychologist will also definitely tell you what will happen if you bite your nails. Only here the work will be more painstaking, because the specialist knows more nuances in solving such problems. For example, he must clearly explain to the child how harmful the habit can affect his relationships with others as he grows up:

the child may be teased by his peers by inventing some unpleasant nickname for him;
Against the backdrop of such an attitude, the child can withdraw into himself, left without friends.

During sessions with a child, the psychologist should also observe his hands and make timely comments. The doctor will try to find out interests little man, find out what books and objects he likes, talk to him about his friends. At the same time, he will remind the child that he will feel more confident when he gets rid of the bad habit of biting his nails, because of which, perhaps, many unpleasant situations have already arisen. The psychologist must try to understand the child’s inner world and draw up a program for working with him. If the child meets the psychologist halfway and accepts his method, then gradually the question of how not to bite his nails will disappear by itself. But for this, the baby must trust the doctor and carefully follow his instructions.

How to stop biting your nails: working on yourself at home

Even if a child psychologist’s work with a child is successful, this does not mean that for parents the problem should fade into the background or cease to exist altogether. The habit will not go away so quickly, and therefore it is advisable to observe the child at home at what exact moments he begins to bite his nails. If he puts his hand to his mouth when solving a difficult problem, you need to tactfully, without offending the child, lower his hand and try to solve the difficult subject together with him. Need to find one for him interesting activity, in which both hands will be occupied. For example, a girl can be taught to knit, a boy can exercise with dumbbells. It is advisable to involve your child in joint household work, such as cleaning or going to the store. Periodically remind your child that he is biting his nails much less often, and on the day when this does not happen even once, you can throw him a small celebration. Such attention will be remembered, and on a subconscious level he will stop his hand when it reaches for his mouth.

Working on yourself in kindergarten or school

In society, when there are neither parents nor a psychologist nearby, a child may become confused. After all, it is important for him not only to show others that he is the same as everyone else, but also to strive to become better than others. To do this, together with a psychologist or parents, the child needs to come up with some kind of signal for himself, thanks to which he will stop the once habitual movement in time. For example, you can work out situations at home when your hand involuntarily reaches for your mouth. In this case, you need to change the trajectory of its movement in time: for example, straighten your hair or pull down the sleeve of your shirt. With the gradual disappearance of the habit and the acquisition of self-confidence, the child will take better care of himself, realizing that this brings him positive emotions.

Why does an adult bite his nails?

Unfortunately, many people continue the habit of biting their nails into adulthood. Most often this happens when a person is nervous, and sometimes while solving some production problems. But in an adult, bitten nails look especially sloppy. People around him notice this, which makes the person feel awkward - and the question arises about how to stop biting his nails. First you need to learn how to transfer your nail habit to something else. For example, you can bite the tip of a pencil or the tip of a pen. In the process of thinking about something, you can mechanically leaf through some reference book. And, what is also important, do not forget about personal hygiene, because adults, no less than children, touch various objects during the day.