arcara Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 My ds will be 4 at the end of the month. He has a terrible habit of biting his fingernails, and I don't know what to do to help him stop. He has visibly worn down his teeth already and looking at his nails makes me cringe! Sometimes, he cries because his fingernails hurt from what he's done to them, but that's not enough to make him stop. I've tried some fingernail polish from the store that is supposed to stop you from biting your fingernails, but it had a bitter taste, not hot, so he really didn't care that much about it. I tried taping the ends of his fingers for a while, but the tape came off very easily. Any brilliant ideas from those who have BTDT? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 My ds will be 4 at the end of the month. He has a terrible habit of biting his fingernails, and I don't know what to do to help him stop. He has visibly worn down his teeth already and looking at his nails makes me cringe! Sometimes, he cries because his fingernails hurt from what he's done to them, but that's not enough to make him stop. I've tried some fingernail polish from the store that is supposed to stop you from biting your fingernails, but it had a bitter taste, not hot, so he really didn't care that much about it. I tried taping the ends of his fingers for a while, but the tape came off very easily. Any brilliant ideas from those who have BTDT? TIA! Oh, how I wish there was an answer! My husband and my older son are both nail-biters. The only time either one of them stopped biting is during the period when they were wearing braces. My husband, however, started again just days after his braces came off. I suspect the same will be true for my older son when his braces are removed next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura K (NC) Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 There's a product called "No-Bite" that we bought at WalMart in the fingernail polish aisle (similar to this, but a lot less expensive). It's a little shiny, but it works really, really well. One of my sons bit his nails so badly that he bit his nail clean off. We were pretty desperate for him to quit the habit. My son was a little older, and this might not work for a 4yo, but a financial incentive was also helpful, if he could make his nails look normal after 6 months. He did. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 No-bite, rewards for not doing it, charts, distraction and total undivided attention to the problem from you and whoever else until it stops. I've had a couple kids with various thumb sucking, nail biting etc. habits and that is really what it is, a habit. Totally mindless response. Until that automatic response chain is broken he will keep going back to it. And honestly, he will probably find some other activity to replace it - all of my fidgeters have - they just need one less damaging and more socially acceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 try keeping them filed smooth. You can get those foam files that are very fine. Read to him while you do it, or chat. Do the toenails too or he'll get at them. I gnawed all my nails for years until I learned to just keep them smooth smooth smooth and short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 yeah braces worked for my dd, and then as soon as they were off... biter again :glare: i tried the nail bite and she didnt care... said it tasted like a lemon lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in Jax Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Sometimes, nail biting is related to low zinc. If you get his zinc levels up to normal, he may stop. HIH, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 We are going on our second month with no biting!!!!! He was 8 by the time we figured it out; I was in tears towards the end because I thought he was doing permanent damage to his hands. We finally decided that he would have to wear gloves just so they could heal. We told him over and over it was not a punishment but for his safety. We used lightweight cotton gloves and he had to wear them all the time; even to eat. This is just where we started and we didn't know how it would end. After 2 weeks of gloves ALL the time the habit was broke, for real!! We just needed something to break the habit. I wish we would have done it sooner. good luck and blessings, emerald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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