Children who bite their nails: How to change this habit?

Parents are usually bothered to see their children biting their nails, and try to correct them so that they abandon this habit. But it's not always easy. In many cases, it is an involuntary, automatic act, which may be related to some factors. Anxiety is the first of them.

Just like thumb sucking, nail biting has a calming effect on children, causing a feeling of warmth and psychological well-being. Even some experts warn that the number of children who manifest this behavior seems to have increased in recent years.

Cases of anxiety, in all age groups, have been growing dramatically in recent decades, being considered the disease of the century. This is due to the accelerated experience of modern society.

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And not only adults feel the effects of the multiple activities they have to perform in the same day, children, although they do not have as many responsibilities to fulfill, they are affected by the impatience and tension that adults carry. They still don't understand the meaning of “lack of time”, but they are already forced to deal with it.

Fighting with the child and saying that it is an ugly attitude is not enough. It is necessary to investigate the source of the problem. If it really is a sign of anxiety, it's important to find out what's bothering the little one, what his anguish and afflictions are.

Physically, there are no serious dangers in biting your nails, unless the frequency is so frequent that it causes wounds in the fingers, in the mouth, or permanent deformities in the nails. There is also a risk of contracting fungi, viruses and bacteria.

Not only anxiety, insecurity and tension are factors that predispose to the establishment of this bad habit, states of irritation, tiredness, boredom, are also stimuli for the child to bite their nails.

Imitative behavior is also something to watch out for. As we already know, a large part of the child's behavioral repertoire is acquired through imitation. So, if she saw someone in the family, or at school, or in any other environment, biting her nails, possibly she will act in a similar way.

But this is not a problem, imitative behaviors tend to fall into oblivion easily, unless they generate repercussions.

All reinforced behavior is repeated, so don't fight with the child, don't establish punishment, just help him overcome this problem.

And how to change this habit?

Firstly, it is essential to take good care of hygiene, and teach the little ones to also be clean and careful with their nails, as well as with their teeth, hair, etc. Hygiene is a matter of health, and children do not learn to take care of themselves. So keep the child's nails always short, clean and sanded.

Also observe if there is any specific moment when the habit is evident, such as, for example, in a situation that arouses tension. Either through an action film or drawing, in which scenes of struggle and violence appear, or by living in environments with a lot of agitation, discussion and fights.

If possible, avoid exposing the child to this type of occasion or environment. In fact, nobody should live in an inhospitable and unsafe environment, much less the little ones who are in the development phase, and are absorbing everything that happens around them.

If you notice signs of restlessness and nervousness in the child, offer activities that will provide relaxation and distraction. Play with her, sing a song, tell a story.
Talk, talk a lot. Explain the damage that the habit of biting nails can cause. Offer alternatives to react to anxiety.

Show support, always. Give your little one security. Make him confident that you will always be around, not to punish and punish, but to guide and help him overcome all the obstacles that arise throughout his development.