Nail biting and nose picking - how to stop it!

[emsiemcb]

My 6 year old and 4 year old have both bizarrely started biting their nails recently, and the eldest doesn't stop picking his nose - lovely!

Anyone have a good tricks on how to stop it? I have a vague memory from my youth of something you can put on nails which tastes horrible? not sure they'd let me put it on mind you!

[madmum]

I have this problem too!!!! why??? is it a new trend? my sons nails are nasty, I ve now said for every nail he grows I will give him ?2 the promise of a potential ?20 seems to be working, although we are only 3 days in!

I was a terrible nail bitter in my youth and recall my mum painting my nails with stuff that was suppose to stop you biting them but I just got used to the taste...money worked got me..I'm easily bribed!

I haven't but my nails for 20 years.

nose picking is s whole different story.. I look forward to Ed formites advice

x

[EDmummy]

My 11 year old was offered ?100 to stop biting his nails by his grandad when he was 7. Money earned to date, a big fat 0! Sorry, no tips here. His younger brother has now followed suit.

[susyp]

stopped my daughter biting her nails by offering to paint them if she stopped and then saying she would ruin the varnish if she bit them - did it in the holidays - she is younger than yours however so not sure how it would translate.

I still bite my nails. Never given up. The nasty tasting stuff didn't stop me for any length of time.

Susypx

[GinaG3]

The stuff your thinking of is called Stop'n grow, I think it has age restrictions due to chemicals.. It's disgusting, and also not very long lasting if I recall.

[hanstands]

This is a little sad and hard for a parent I can imagine. I started biting my nails aged five, so my Mum tells me. It takes an amazing amount of will power to not bite them now [but I do manage not to most of the time] and I'm in my thirties these days.

My Mum tried multiple bribes and the nail chemicals, none of which worked. It can [but not necessarily?] be a sign of anxiety in a child and some can grow out of the habit. Looking back I'd guess it was anxiety that had caused me to start.

I'm guessing what might have helped me would have been someone to talk to about what I felt worried/concerned about on a regular basis. Ideally an interested parent, someone that I felt I could have talked to and not felt judged for what I was feeling. For some reason I didn't feel I had that so my worries were internalised and perhaps one outlet [for me] was biting my nails. You could try do a bit of investigating to see if there are worries they have that need talking through? Though it may be nothing to do with worry in your childrens' cases.

[hanstands]

http://www.babycenter.com/0_nail-biting-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it_65507.bc

This might help?

[emsiemcb]

Thanks guys - and thanks handstands - your post was sad. I did in fact worry that it might have been starting school for my 4 year old son (and me going back to work after maternity leave with his younger brother)- I actually think with my older son he was just doing it because his younger brother was doing it! but it's good to know anxiety may be a cause so I'm going to try a bit more investigating.

Thanks again all for the posts x

[Saffron]

Stress can definitely be the initial trigger for nail biting. The problem is that if the nail biting becomes an ingrained behaviour known as a "stereotypy" or "stereotypic behaviour", you will ultimately make the problem worse by using means to suppress it. Suppression of stereotypies leads to rebound behaviour, in which the problematic behaviour emerges even worse. This is a well-documented paradigm in behaviour across many species including humans. I totally agree with handstands's post about addressing anxiety as the root of nail biting.

I think nose picking is generally a different issue. Children pick their noses because they itch or they're bored (the children, not the noses of course, haha!), etc. Give them their own little pack of tissues to keep in their pockets and bags. Keep a big box of tissues in any room they use frequently. Try to encourage the good behaviour and ignore the bad. xx