Children often bite their nails? Try these ten tips

Children biting their nails is a problem that many parents are troubled by. Many children start biting their nails in kindergarten, and although parents try their best, it is still difficult to correct them. Children who bite their nails for a long time, or gnaw on the skin around their nails, may cause nail deformation, traumatic bleeding, paronychia, skin calluses, and malocclusion. Some children not only bite their fingernails, but also their toenails, and some children even continue to bite their nails in middle school. How can we correct the habit of biting nails? Psychiatrists have summarized ten sets of strategies for different groups of people who have the habit of biting nails.

1. Rule out mental illness

Parents should first take their children to a psychiatric clinic and ask the doctor to assess whether they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, etc., whether they need medication or psychological intervention, and whether the family education method needs to be improved.

2. Improve trace element inspection

Targeted supplementation of deficient trace elements can also be used, or small doses of iron, magnesium, zinc and other trace elements, as well as vitamin D3, multiple B vitamins, etc. can be directly supplemented on a daily basis, which are beneficial to nerve and body development.

3. Distract

If the child does not require medication or psychological intervention and only has a habit problem that is difficult to correct, you can use the method of distraction. That is, when the child bites his nails, quietly and naturally guide the child to do other activities.

4. Apply bitter nail polish

For younger children, bitter nail polish can be used. Foreign studies have shown that using bitter nail polish is more effective than using a reminder wristband. You can also put gloves on younger children to physically isolate the contact between the lips and nails.

5. Get a decompression tool

Some older children often bite their nails when doing homework or reading. You can allow them to play with erasers or pinch toys with their other hand while doing homework, or even buy them some bracelets or walnuts. Although they are small actions, playing with bracelets and other small toys at least does not damage the fingers or affect the appearance of the nails.

6. Take care of your hands

Trim your children's nails, apply hand cream, and massage their hands frequently to help them develop the habit and awareness of cherishing and taking care of their bodies.

7. Stimulate children’s love of beauty

Put beautiful stickers on girls' nails, or let them wear some cute rings and bracelets. This can stimulate girls' love of beauty, and they will naturally reduce the behavior of biting their nails.

8. Keep your hands busy

Let children move and use their fingers. You can teach young children to do finger exercises and shadow puppet games, or let older children learn a musical instrument that requires the use of fingernails, such as guitar or guqin.

9 Ways to Teach Children to Exercise Self-control

Teach your child to use the thumb or other fingers to press against the palm of the other hand when he or she has the urge to bite his or her nails. If the child really wants to bite his or her nails, he or she can insist on not biting a certain finger and only biting the other nine fingers, and then gradually expand the scope, such as biting only the nails of one hand, until the transition to biting only one finger. Parents should praise and reward the child for his or her progress, and let the child choose a reasonable reward item to increase his or her enthusiasm. Parents can also take photos of their hands before and now, print them out and hang them on the wall. In this way, when the child can intuitively see his or her progress, he or she will be more confident in improving his or her control.

10. Less criticism and more companionship

There are always some children who have great learning pressure and whose habits are difficult to correct, or whose parents do not have enough time and energy to fully implement the above suggestions. Then what parents can do is not to worry too much and not to blame their children frequently, thereby increasing their psychological burden. Generally speaking, even if no treatment is taken, nail biting behavior will gradually subside as children age. Parents can focus more on their children's strengths, strive for more time for parent-child companionship, entertainment and relaxation, and leave more beautiful memories for their children's childhood. These beautiful memories will be the source of spiritual strength that supports children to move forward.

Pay attention: 40% of nail-biting teenagers suffer from ADHD

According to statistics, the average age of first nail biting behavior is about 5 years old, and the incidence rate among adolescents is about 20%-30%, with slightly more females than males. As people age, nail biting behavior decreases, and the average age of stopping nail biting is about 14 years old. Foreign scholars call the habit of nail biting onychophagia, and classify it as obsessive-compulsive disorder or impulse control disorder, along with trichotillomania, skin tearing, lip biting, and cheek mucosa biting.

Studies have found that among teenagers who bite their nails, the incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is about 40%, and the incidence of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and tics is also higher than that of the general population. Some children may be nervous and irritable, but they don't know how to relieve it in a better way. Therefore, the oral stage method is used to soothe children by biting their nails. Over time, it becomes a habit, and they will bite their nails even when they are not anxious.

Source: Beijing Health Education