Heather in Neverland Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 She just turned two and is no longer using a pacifier and lately I have been catching her chewing on her nails... A lot! Yes, I keep them cut short. It doesn't matter. It's like the act of chewing on them is what drives her, not how long they are. Neither of my boys does this and no one in my family does so I am really perplexed as to what to do. I just keeping moving her fingers out of her mouth and saying "don't chew your nails". The only time she doesn't do it is if I let her have her pacifier back which doesn't seem like the best way to handle it. Any suggestions? . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Articles on the subject: http://www.babycenter.com/0_nail-biting-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it_65507.bc http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/five_habits.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Just give up. My husband chews his nails. My son has chewed them since he was a toddler. I just don't do anything about it any more. When his hands are dirty, I do tell him to keep his hands out of his mouth. But if they are clean, I let him. I think it's inherited, and I think it's their personality. Also, everyone I knew who chewed their nails in grad school was *super* smart. I mean the perfect SAT scoring people. (Including husband.) All chewed their nails. It makes me feel better to think of it. (I don't chew my nails. I don't even know how. I've tried, and it doesn't work. Also I didn't have a perfect SAT.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 No help here. My dad, brother and I all chew our nails. I would love to stop, but haven't been able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Just give up. Also, everyone I knew who chewed their nails in grad school was *super* smart. I mean the perfect SAT scoring people. (Including husband.) All chewed their nails. It makes me feel better to think of it. :D I think I will hold onto this and try not to worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Heather, my stepson chews his nails. Has for YEARS. He still does it now at 14. He chews them down to stubs. It looks gross. Like, totally gross. :tongue_smilie: He doesn't get scabs or infections or anything, so the only reason I tell him all the time to get his fingers out of his mouth is because of germs. That's so icky to me, to be putting your hands in your mouth all the time. Blech. I thought for sure once he hit puberty and started being interested in girls, that the social pressure to not have grody looking fingernails would get him to stop. It didn't. We've even tried that nasty tasting fingernail polish you put on. He chewed anyway. Sigh. I don't know the answer. Hopefully some day he'll decide to quit on his own. He'd probably get sick less often. If it were one of my little boys, I'd just nag them until they quit. :tongue_smilie: But that'd only work because they're always with me, and would get tired of hearing me nag. :D My dss only spends 1/3 of his time here at dad's, and I guess that's not enough time for my nagging to take hold, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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