Why does a child bite his nails and what to do - advice from a psychologist. Why children bite their nails - the opinion of child psychologists Why does a child bite his nails

In medicine and psychology, the term “onychophagy” is used to describe the habit of biting nails. According to statistics, this habit appears in 30% of children aged 6 to 10 years. In the age sample from 10 to 17 years old there are already 50% of them. An interesting fact is that girls at any age are less susceptible to this habit. Science explains this fact simply - women are naturally more stress-resistant and also have more developed emotional intelligence.

Psychologists advise looking at this problem more broadly than just a “bad habit.” There is always a good reason behind the compulsive performance of monotonous actions. And behind the reason, as a rule, a personal problem is hidden. Therefore, it is imprudent to treat this phenomenon calmly, thinking that the habit will go away on its own.

Why does a child bite his nails: reasons, advice from a psychologist - in this article you will find answers to all your questions on the topic.

Causes of onychophagia

This habit usually appears against the background of new life circumstances that the child cannot cope with psychologically. It is important to understand that an outwardly quite prosperous child can have colossal tension inside.

In order for parents to feel the essence of this childhood habit, it is usually enough to say that onychophagia is self-criticism not only in the literal, but also in the psychological sense. By biting his nails, the child “eats”, punishes himself for something, tries to “gnaw out” his problems, and deal with the feelings that hurt him.

Sometimes the reasons for the appearance of a habit are purely physiological characteristics that can provoke the occurrence of neuroses. By biting his nails, the child drowns out anxiety, thereby distracting himself from the real problem and calming down.

Stress caused by the loss of someone close to you or the threat to your own life.
Experienced fright, intense fear.
Psychological situation in the family. This is not only the absence of conflicts in the family, but also the psychological comfort of each of its members. For example, a father’s aggression towards the political situation, a mother’s worries about work, a grandmother’s upset due to her health condition - all this can cause a child’s neurosis.
Problems of child adaptation in society (change of place of residence, starting classes in kindergarten or school).
An unreasonably large burden on the child at school and outside of school. As a result, lack of sleep, overwork, increased fatigue, irritability.
Having an example. If someone around him bites his nails, then perhaps the child will begin to repeat these actions unconsciously, succumbing to the effect of infection or imitating.
Non-compliance with diet. For example, uncontrolled consumption of sweets or carbonated drinks increases the excitability of the nervous system and reduces self-control.
Incorrect daily routine for the child. Failure to maintain a balance between sleep and wakefulness, uncontrolled viewing of television programs, and excessive computer games (even educational ones) have a destructive effect on the child’s psyche. In this case, the child can relieve tension by biting his nails.
Low self-esteem. Low self-esteem, as a rule, is formed due to excessive demand from the baby. When parents choose not to praise and set unrealistic goals for him, the child finds himself in a situation from which he will never be able to get out on his own. He knows that in any case his parents will be unhappy with him. Feeling not good enough, unloved, the child “gnaws” at himself, thus expressing aggression and resentment. It should be noted that this reason is the most common. And since it is not possible for a child or teenager to solve the problem of low self-esteem in an acceptable way, the habit of biting nails continues into adulthood.

The sooner parents find out the causes of onychophagia and eliminate them, the more work they will do for the successful development of the child’s personality.

Understand that the child, most often, does not realize the reasons for his psychological or physical discomfort. He is simply trying to relieve tension in a way that is accessible to him. If parents simply stop nail biting with strict punishment, then psychological stress will certainly find its manifestation in something else. The main task of parents is to help their child overcome stress and relieve anxiety.

To understand what causes the habit, watch your child. Perhaps he only bites his nails at school? Or does he start doing this before his father comes home from work? Or maybe he does this while watching an action movie? As a rule, the answers are on the surface; you just need to carefully analyze aspects of the child’s life.

If for one reason or another the parents are unable to help their child overcome the habit, then a competent psychologist will help resolve the situation.

Do not scold your child for developing a habit. Do not raise your voice, do not pull back, do not hit your hands. Do not smear your hands with hot spices or special bitter varnishes.
Explain to your child in an age-appropriate manner what could happen if he continues to bite his nails. But don’t be scared by the consequences. Tell a story where the hero was weak and had problems with his habit, but eventually became brave, strong, and overcame it.
Follow the daily routine recommended for the child’s age. Provide a balanced, healthy diet. It may be necessary to take a course of mild sedative. But only after consulting a doctor.
Keep your child's hands busy. Construction sets, modeling, drawing, playing musical instruments, helping around the house as much as possible. As soon as you see that the hand is reaching to the mouth, calmly transfer his attention - put a toy in his hand, ask for help.
Carry out hygiene procedures regularly or, if age allows, teach them to your child. Give the girls a beautiful manicure.
Create a calm atmosphere at home in which the child will feel comfortable and protected.
Encourage your child to express emotions – both positive and negative. The best option is active games, physical education and sports.
Talk to your child and find out what areas of his life are bothering him. Ask him to draw a picture of school, home, friends - maybe his drawings will help you find the reason.
Make sure that you become one team to overcome the habit, become his assistant. Know that every child wants to be good for his parents. Make him feel powerful, needed and loved.

Before you and your child set out on the path to getting rid of the habit of biting their nails, be patient and understanding. Remember how difficult it is for adults to overcome their habits: quit smoking or follow a diet. And the little man cannot cope at all without your help. Remember that the habit will go away on its own as soon as the child gets rid of what bothers him.

The habit of biting nails is common to many children and even adults. But if an adult is responsible for his own actions, then parents have to solve the problems of children. What to do when a child bites his nails? The answer to the question directly depends on the mental state and health of the baby.

Illness or habit

Doctors and psychologists do not advise considering this phenomenon only as a “bad habit.” In medicine, there is a special term - “onychophagia” - an irresistible desire to bite nails for no apparent purpose. A similar definition - “dermatophagy” - means an unconscious desire to gnaw or pinch the cuticle.

Doctors' observations revealed that about 30% of children aged 6 to 10 years bite their nails, and boys do this more often than girls. Among children from 10 to 17 years old, the percentage susceptible to bad habits increases, reaching 50%. Doctors explain this fact by changes in life, heavy workload at school, and difficulties in relationships with parents and friends during adolescence.

However, the habit of biting nails cannot be ignored in the hope that the baby will “outgrow it.” Tugging at and scolding parents is also unlikely to help the baby overcome difficulties. It is necessary to look for a more significant reason and eliminate it with the joint efforts of those around you.

Causes of onychophagia

Sometimes it is difficult to say why a child bites his nails: the reasons for the habit may lie in the physiological and emotional spheres of the child’s life.

Psychological

Social problems. For most children, adaptation to society begins at 3 years old, when they go to kindergarten. If the baby grew up in “greenhouse” conditions, parting with his parents, even for a short time, can become stressful. At 6-7 years old, the next adaptation period begins, when a first-grader goes to school. These changes cannot but affect the general psychological state of the child.
Family relationships. Quarrels between parents, a father or mother who does not live in the family, inattention and an attempt to entrust the upbringing process to the grandmother can be perceived by the child as a stressful situation. Onychophagia becomes a manifestation of hostility towards others and a way of calming down.
Environment example. If someone in the family, kindergarten or school bites their nails, the child may unconsciously repeat these actions.
Hereditary excitability of the nervous system, temperament. Even if there is no objective stressful situation, increased nervousness may be due to a hereditary type of nervous system or temperamental characteristics. In this case, positive and negative emotions will have an equally exciting effect.
Consequences or. Prolonged sucking has a calming effect on the baby. Nail biting functionally replaces the mother's breast or pacifier.
Perfectionism. This is the desire to be the best in everything. If something doesn’t work out for the baby, he gets upset and perceives what happened as stress. Often this situation arises in families where parents set the bar too high for their children. The feeling of inconsistency with the parental ideal forms psychological complexes. The habit of biting your nails is a manifestation of a subconscious desire to correct flaws in accessible ways.
Replacing one habit with another. In this case, nail biting may become a substitute for another habit, such as thumb sucking.
The child has nothing to do. Children start biting their nails out of boredom when they don't know what to do.
Lack of sleep. Heavy workload at school and disruption of the daily routine lead to lack of sleep and, as a result, a state of anxiety and nervous tension.
, . Limit your time watching cartoons to 1-2 hours a day, and playing on the computer to 0.5 hours. Flashing frames and loud sounds have a destructive effect on the fragile psyche of a child. Select programs and games with life-affirming content and calm music.

So, the main reason for a bad habit is stress. When a child bites his nails, the pain center in the brain is activated. It drowns out the center of stress or creates a source of pain elsewhere, distracting attention from the problem. As a result, the baby calms down. Don't scold or yell at the baby! The task of parents is to identify and eliminate the cause of nervousness and tension, which the child himself may not be aware of.

Side effects

The famous doctor Komarovsky claims that parents should not be indifferent to the bad activities of their children. If the habit of biting nails is not eliminated in time, it can remain in adulthood, giving rise to serious consequences:

damaged nails and cuticles;
stopping the growth of nails;
change in the natural shape of the cuticle, wounds and hematomas;
infection of the periungual surface;
dental problems due to gum damage and, as a result, increased tooth mobility;
frequent viral and microbial diseases;
gastrointestinal diseases, helminths;
aesthetic and social problems (impossibility of full communication, isolation, difficulties with employment, etc.)

Traditional methods

If you don’t know how to stop your child from biting his nails, you can try folk remedies.

Lubricate your fingers with something bitter. Many parents, in the old fashioned way, try to lubricate the child’s fingers with mustard or agave juice and apply a plaster. However, practice shows that this method does not help much. You can try a special varnish for children who bite their nails, “Nekusayka”. It is applied to the baby's nails and has a bitter taste. This property of varnish will help wean you from a bad habit. But do not forget to remind that it is not because of the varnish or cream that it becomes bitter, but because of wrong actions.
Relieve tension. Teach your child to relieve nervous tension with simple gymnastics and proper breathing. To do this, ask your baby to clench and unclench his fists alternately. Another useful exercise is breathing control. Holding the toy in his hands, the child inhales and exhales slowly and deeply. 5-7 minutes of such gymnastics a day will significantly reduce the level of nervousness.
Get a manicure. Girls over 5 years old can get a beautiful manicure. Teach your baby to take care of her nails, teach her how to use the tools from the children's manicure set. Express your approval for beautiful and well-groomed hands. Cuticle care is also necessary for boys. Eliminated irritants in a timely manner will help avoid dermatophagy.
Form a reflex. A soft bracelet is placed on the child's hand. If an adult sees that the baby is putting his hands in his mouth, he pulls off the bracelet and flicks the hand. The method can be effective, although some may find it cruel.

If parents don’t know what to do if their child bites their nails, advice from a psychologist can be helpful.

Onychophagia in a child is a clear signal for parents that they need to pay attention to the health and psychological state of their child. There is no need to brush off the problem and wait for it to “outgrow.” A neglected habit can in the future become an obstacle to successful work, meaningful communication and family happiness.

Bitten, unkempt, uneven nails are a problem that most parents encounter sooner or later. What to do, what are the reasons for this bad childhood habit and how to fight it - our article will tell you about all this.

The habit of biting nails occurs in every third child aged 6 to 10 years.

What is this – a bad habit or a serious illness?

The habit of biting nails has a very specific medical name - “ onychophagia" Another term is “dermatophagy”, which means an irresistible desire or craving to chew or pinch off the cuticle. Most often, this habit is observed in children starting from about 6 years of age. By the age of 10, approximately every third child suffers from it. Older children “bite their nails” even more often – approximately every second.

Girls suffer from this disorder less than boys. This is understandable: they by nature have a higher resistance to stress.

Psychologists believe that this phenomenon should be viewed not as a bad habit, but as a specific problem. And you shouldn’t let it take its course. It is necessary to determine the reasons for its occurrence so that it can be dealt with more easily and effectively.

Reasons

The habit of biting your nails never occurs out of nowhere. It is usually preceded by changed life circumstances. This could be a change of preschool or school, class, moving to another apartment, or any serious change in the child’s life that he cannot cope with psychologically.

Nervous tension accumulates inside the child and turns into a bad habit. In other words, bitten nails are nothing more than an attempt to “gnaw out” or get rid of a problem that oppresses the child.

Reasons related to physiology

By prohibiting your child from eating sweets for some reason, you can cause the baby to develop the habit of biting his nails.

Reasons of a socio-psychological nature

Loss of a relative or loved one. Psychological trauma and stress most often lead to the development of some bad habit.
Great fright can easily contribute to the occurrence of such a phenomenon. A loud sound, sudden movement and other reasons can especially strongly affect the psyche of a 2- or 3-year-old child. A child of 4 years old can be very frightened by the screaming or barking of a dog.
Tension between parents. An unfavorable psychological climate in the family, constant swearing, conversations in a raised voice, aggression directed at each other, one way or another, will definitely leave their mark on the fragile child’s psyche. Especially if the child is in such an atmosphere constantly and for a long time.
A sudden change of scenery. Most often this is due to a change in kindergarten, school, or place of residence. This problem may arise after a long break from attending preschool or school.

An unfavorable family environment and frequent quarrels greatly affect the child’s psyche

The direct opposite of the previous point is the child’s poor employment. He doesn't know what to do with himself and starts biting his nails out of boredom.
Bad example. If someone in a child’s family or close circle bites their nails, then sooner or later the child will try to do the same.
Poor nutrition. Uncontrolled consumption, for example, of carbonated drinks or sweets, leads to increased excitability of the child.
Sleep disturbances. Most often this is due to the fact that the child stays up late in front of the TV, computer, or tablet. Regular lack of sleep leads to irritability, which the child tries to relieve by biting his nails.
Low self-esteem. Most often, such problems occur with children 8, 9 years old and older. Studying at school, attending sports sections or clubs: parents begin to demand from the child to achieve certain results, which he, for various reasons, cannot achieve. Hence the irritation of parents and a decrease in the child’s sense of self-worth. He begins to fear that his parents will scold him and begins to bite his nails, thus throwing out his resentment.

Side effects

Regular nail biting can lead to a number of problems, including:

damage to nails and cuticles;
impaired nail growth;
cuticle tears;
infection in open wounds;
Regular nail biting can lead to a number of dental problems, for example, damage to the gums with subsequent infection;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as diseases caused by viruses and microbes;
psychological problems (isolation, lack of communication, etc.).

Microbes that enter a child's body from under the nails can cause gastrointestinal diseases

Naturally, in order to eliminate the problem itself, it is necessary to first identify the causes of its occurrence. And the faster this happens, the less painful it will be to wean yourself from a bad habit.

Here's what psychologists advise on this matter:

You should never scold a child for this habit, much less hit his hands or smear his fingers with something sharp and bitter;
talk to your child about potential illnesses and problems that may arise from nail biting;
observe the sleep, wakefulness and nutrition schedule established by the child’s age;
develop fine motor skills (modeling, drawing, playing with construction kits, playing musical instruments, etc.);
regular hand hygiene;
ensure a normal psychological environment in the child’s environment;
encourage the child for expressing his emotions, no matter whether positive or negative;
talk with your child about his concerns. A child can express his problems not only in conversation, but also in a drawing, for example.

Traditional methods

If the psychologist’s advice does not lead to the desired result and the child, rather, continues to bite his nails out of habit, then you can use one of the folk remedies.

Lubricate the child’s nails with something bitter. Many parents use mustard or agave juice for this purpose. The method is ineffective and not very pleasant for the child. It is best to use a varnish specially created for this purpose, for example, “Nekusayka”. The child’s nails are coated with varnish, and now every time he puts his fingers to his mouth, the bitter taste will not let the baby forget that this should not be done.
If the emergence of this habit is associated with constant psychological stress, then you need to teach the child to relieve it with a simple exercise or breathing exercises. The first option is to frequently clench and unclench your fists. Breathing exercise: the child inhales and exhales slowly and deeply for 5 minutes. Such constant control of breathing will help to significantly reduce the child’s level of emotional tension. To make the exercise interesting for the baby, you can give him a favorite toy, for example.
Beautiful manicure. When doing a manicure, a mother can involve her daughter in this process. Showing a set of nail care tools, explaining why this or that item is needed, giving the baby a manicure and even covering the nails with a special children's varnish is a wonderful and very visual way to show how great it is when nails are kept in perfect order. And this applies not only to girls, but also to boys. Neat, evenly trimmed nails are always beautiful, we need to remind children of this more often!
Formation of the reflex. To do this, you can put, for example, a soft bracelet with an elastic band on the child’s hand. As soon as your fingers reach towards your mouth, you need to gently pull back the rubber band and “click” it on the child’s hand. The method is quite fun and effective.

Like many adults, children also suffer from bad habits. The most common habit among children is merciless nail biting. At first glance, there is nothing fatal in this habit, but if it is discovered, the necessary measures should be taken immediately.

Reasons why children bite their nails

The habit of constantly and actively biting your nails is such a common phenomenon today that it has even found its place in the list of scientific terms. This habit is called -"onychophagia".

Doctors conducted observations and found that about 30% of children aged 6 to 10 years suffer from onychophagia. Boys are more prone to this habit than girls. Between the ages of 10 and 17 years, the percentage of children who bite their nails increases to 50%. This is exactly the age when frequent changes occur in life, relationships with parents and friends are far from ideal, and the workload at school increases. But such a habit also arises due to a number of other reasons, which we will consider below.

Stress and neuroses

The desire to bite your nails appears during stress and neurosis. The causes of stress can be disagreements with parents and peers, increased mental stress, lack of sleep, or simple dissatisfaction with oneself. Neuroses can occur due to diseases of the cardiovascular system or from a lack of vitamins E, B and magnesium.

Bad example

The child is inclined to imitate everything he sees. Perhaps one of your close friends or relatives also suffers from this bad habit.

From finger to nail

Poor hygiene

Failure to trim your child’s nails in a timely manner may also be a cause. If the nail plates are weak, then they grow quite a bit and begin to break and peel. This begins to cause inconvenience to the child. Then he takes his own measures - he bites them off.

Excessive inhibitions and idleness

If a child is denied many pleasures, for example, forbidden to eat sweets, then he will try to replace this by biting his nails. This activity has a calming effect on him and distracts him from the annoying feeling. In the same way, your child can relieve himself of boredom. Therefore, make sure that he does not wander around idle. Find him something interesting and useful to do.

Negative influence of technology

Do not let your child sit for a long time in front of the TV and computer. Not all television programs are good for a child, and not all computer games are useful. The child absorbs all the negativity that flows from the media. Modern computer games are filled with brutal fight scenes. Select cartoons (), programs and games that would have a positive and creative effect on the child’s psyche.

Changing the usual rhythm of life

Until the age of three, the child is constantly under the supervision of his parents. But the time comes to go to kindergarten. Mom and dad are no longer around, there is a need to somehow adapt to society, and this is already stress (). At the age of 6-7 years, a first-grader is taken to school. And here comes the period of adaptation again. Psychologically, such changes do not pass without a trace.

The habit of biting nails is a neurotic reaction similar to thumb sucking or tics. Schoolchildren suffer from this disorder more often than children, because they experience great physical and emotional stress. In this way, the child tries to cope with stress, anxiety, and excitement. If parents, instead of looking for a reason, scold and constantly reprimand their son or daughter, the situation only gets worse. A vicious circle arises: anxiety leads to the habit of biting nails, ugly hands anger parents, as a result, the baby’s nervous tension increases, and self-esteem drops even lower. Often this problem is coupled with other disorders of the nervous system: increased excitability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (up to 75% of children with ADHD bite their nails), enuresis. And the physical consequences can be helminthic infestations, inflammation of the periungual tissues, periodontitis, up to the exposure of the neck of the tooth. So the child definitely needs help. There is no special medicine for children who bite their nails - bitter pharmaceutical varnishes do not always help and often only take the problem into another direction. But sometimes doctors prescribe mild sedatives and nootropic drugs in such cases

Consequences of habit

Reflex development

Place a bracelet on your child's hand. As soon as he reaches his hand to his mouth, click the bracelet on his hand. This way of fighting the habit will bear fruit. Although to some it may seem cruel.

If a child does not get rid of a bad habit, it makes sense to contact a child psychologist. Tips for eliminating it, which are most often recommended by experts, are given below.

Don't criticize

Don't scold or yell at your baby. Such increased attention to a child's habit can only aggravate the situation; the child will become nervous, and his hands will again reach into his mouth. Not to mention that children are inclined to go against the grain out of harm, protesting against prohibitions. Therefore, you should explain to the child that this is a bad habit using other methods - without negativity, without prohibitions and reprimands. Look for the most suitable, effective method and use it from the position of a loving and caring parent, and not a Cerberus who is annoyed by this “nasty habit.”

Be patient

Understand that it is as difficult for a child to overcome this habit as it is for an adult to quit smoking. Remember: a categorical ban only causes rejection and protest! For your child to hear and understand you, find the right motivation. For example, if a child refuses porridge, then tell him: “It’s healthy!” - it's just pointless. But the phrase “You will eat porridge, and you will become strong and muscular, like dad” - will work much faster.

Drawing lesson

If you can't figure out what area your child is struggling in, ask him to draw a picture. Let the picture contain images of family, friends, school and others. Those areas of life that are painted in dark colors are problematic.

Danger of infection

Sports activities

Enroll your child in some sports section. Playing sports will help relieve nervous tension and throw out negativity without causing harm to those around you.

Fairy tale therapy

Tell your child a fairy tale of your own composition, in which there will be two heroes: negative and positive. The negative character behaves badly, does not take care of himself and bites his nails, while the positive character is very kind, cheerful and neat. A positive character has many friends, but no one wants to communicate with a negative one. This method has a good effect on the baby’s consciousness.

Give your child more attention

Like all bad habits in children, nail biting is a consequence of neurosis and lack of tactile contact with loved ones and parents. Our son (5 years old) began biting his nails when our youngest child arrived. Naturally, he received less attention - all his worries were about the younger one. We went to a psychologist, and she pointed out our omission. Advice: pay more attention to the child, more hugs and kisses, praise and care. And not a single bad habit will stick to your baby! Author: Valkyrie

Sedatives

Before going to bed, give a weak infusion of chamomile, lemon balm or mint to drink. You can offer warm milk with honey. It will also have a calming effect. Place a couple of drops of calming essential oil next to your child's bed. Do not give homeopathic medicines to your child without consulting a doctor.

Contact a neurologist

If there are serious mental disorders, or all previous methods are powerless, visit a neurologist. He will recommend sedatives, herbal teas or a vitamin complex. If a disease of the nervous system is suspected, the doctor will prescribe neurosonography and prescribe medications based on the examination results. A stool test for the presence of helminths and a cardiogram if cardiovascular disease is suspected may also be required.

Using bitter varnish

Since this problem is well-known, a special bitter varnish has appeared to eliminate it, which can be bought at the pharmacy. For example: “Don’t bite”, “No bite”, “BELWEDER”. The bitter taste discourages children from biting their nails, and the composition of the varnish is not harmful to health. But varnish alone is not enough to eliminate the problem. Always remember the reason for the habit.

Renew your polish every three days. If there are concerns that the varnish contains harmful substances, you can use mustard, agave juice or hot pepper. But remember that a child’s fingers can get into not only his mouth, but also his eyes. The sensations after this will be more than unpleasant. A safer method would be to apply a patch to your nails.

Nail polish Princess “Nekusayka”
REVIEW: The varnish is intended for children who bite their nails to get rid of this bad habit. I bought this polish for my daughter. Of course, I tried it on myself first. The taste is really very bitter, if you try it once you will immediately pull your finger out of your mouth. The taste remains on the lips after the nail has been in the mouth, and then you can feel it if you immediately want to eat something.
So the varnish is really effective. Helped us cope with our daughter's nasty habit. It’s convenient that it’s colorless, so it’s almost invisible on the nails. Can also be used by an adult.
The annotation states that the varnish is safe for children’s nails and contains vitamin A, which prevents nail destruction.
The taste lasts less than a day, so every day you need to tint it again.
I didn’t even use the whole jar right away; I opened it after 3 months and the varnish had thickened greatly.

Victoria: We bought a special transparent nail polish, it’s called “Don’t bite!” , and a baby is drawn on it. It is safe for a child, but as soon as he puts his fingers in his mouth, an unpleasant bitterness immediately appears. A very effective remedy! Costs about 300 rubles. It helped us.

Ksyusha: If you paint it with varnish, it sits and gnaws even more, although it’s terribly bitter! And in the salon they drew airplanes on my nails and said you can’t eat such beauty... After a while I stopped completely.

Guest:And my nails didn’t bite, but tore them off, picked them up and tore them off in strips, this is even worse than biting them! My nails were constantly sore and it was like that for about six months, I just didn’t know what to do, and then the decision came by itself. She hit her finger and it turned black, such a black dot appeared and a vessel under the nail burst. I (the good mother) thought of saying that the nails began to turn black because my daughter constantly picks at them, and they will become even blacker and fall off completely over time, but she is a little princess, princesses cannot live without nails. You know how it whispered. Try it really with a beautiful manicure in the salon, tell your daughter that she is beautiful and her nails should also be beautiful, and as an option (the stump is clear, you don’t need to beat off the child’s fingers) try experimenting with black varnish. It seems to me that this is more harmless than bitter varnish, especially, remember for yourself, the more they forbid, the more you want)) And also, bullshit, that such a habit is a consequence of neurosis, not always, initially it can arise from the fact that the child there is nothing to do, mine did this before bed, when the lights are turned off, but I still don’t want to sleep.

Katya - Katerina: Do not smear anything under any circumstances!!! It's nerve-wracking, I'm telling you for sure. My son bit his nails for a very long time - I was busy with work and paid little attention to him, then there were problems in kindergarten in the last year, and when I went on maternity leave and my son almost stopped going to kindergarten - gradually everything got better and he stopped biting his nails. Look for the cause of the child's nervousness. Now my son has gone to school, sometimes I notice his fingers in his mouth again, but his nails are still fine, I keep an eye on him... And then I didn’t cut his nails for more than a year... there was nothing to cut. You know your child like no one else, you must understand what is happening to him... Good luck, it won’t be easy.

natka: my daughter also bit her nails, you take Levomiticin tablets, crush 2 tablets in a glass of water and put the child’s nails in the solution and let it dry. I did this a couple of times and now she doesn’t chew.

And finally, spend more time on your baby, wrap him in care, love and affection. Spend more time playing entertaining games, go for walks with the whole family, create a cozy and pleasant atmosphere in your home. Don't ignore children's habits, but look for ways to deal with them. Be attentive to yourself and your children.

READ ALSO: Harmful and bad habits in children under one year old - and are they really that bad? —

Union of Pediatricians of Russia

Childhood territory. Child bites nails

Note to moms!

Hello girls! Today I will tell you how I managed to get in shape, lose 20 kilograms, and finally get rid of the terrible complexes of fat people. I hope you find the information useful!

One can imagine the state of a mother when she notices that the nails on her child’s hands are mercilessly bitten down to the very “meat.” What to do if a child bites his nails? Let's figure this out with the help of system-vector psychology.

The habit of biting nails can develop in both babies and older children, up to adolescence. This harmful and extremely unattractive habit, if you do not get rid of it in a timely manner, can continue to ruin the life of an adult.

Not only is it unsightly, it is also fraught with the risk of unpleasant consequences. Due to the constant habit of biting nails, a child may experience:

microbial and viral diseases;
inflammation of the cuticle and periungual surface;
gastrointestinal infections;
helminths (worms);
The nail may become deformed and stop growing altogether.

The bad news: there is no point in stopping your child from biting his nails!

The first reaction of many parents is to slap them on the wrist, scold them, or forbid them. Do such bans help? Definitely no. A child, especially if he is older than the nursery group, understands that his habit of biting his nails is bad, but he is not able to cope with it himself. Shouting, threats, intimidation, and beating on hands usually only leads to the opposite effect.

Onychophagia is not just a bad habit

In psychiatry, the irresistible desire to bite nails and the skin around them even has its own name - onychophagia - and is considered one of the types of obsessive movement neurosis. Neurologists are well aware that obsessive movements are a consequence of the psychological discomfort experienced by the child. The medications they prescribe dull or even completely eliminate the consequences, but do nothing to combat the cause of the child biting his nails. Where does this discomfort come from?

Why do children bite their nails?

At the “System-Vector Psychology” training, Yuri Burlan reveals that the basic feeling that a child needs for full growth and development is - no, not love - a feeling of security and safety, which he receives directly from his mother. This is the basis of the child’s psychological comfort.

During the training, Yuri Burlan explains in detail why this feeling is so important and how its loss affects children with a different set of vectors. The vast majority of parents love their children, but not everyone can provide this feeling and not always. There may be various reasons for this: external circumstances, the mother’s state of super-stress, a difficult situation within the family, as well as parents’ misunderstanding of the innate characteristics of the baby, and as a result, methods of education that are inappropriate for him. The habit of biting nails, as well as tics of various kinds, may appear in the event of a loss of a sense of security and safety, not in every child, but mainly in those with a skin vector. Understanding the characteristics of the skin vector helps restore psychological comfort and get rid of the bad habit forever.

A child may lose a sense of security and safety after some traumatic external event, for example:

the child went to kindergarten, adaptation to the new team does not go smoothly and causes discomfort in the child;
the baby’s mother was hospitalized or went on a business trip, and the child is too small and they did not have time to prepare him for the temporary separation;
another baby was born in the family, and the eldest child felt lack of mother's attention.

What to do in such situations? Help the baby adapt to new conditions, give him attention and time, make him feel that he is protected. Children with the skin vector naturally need affection. If only an external event is “to blame,” then restoring balance is not so difficult.

The situation is more complicated when the child begins to bite his nails for no apparent external reason. Yuri Burlan at the training “System-vector psychology” shows that the psychological state of the mother directly affects the state of the child, and the younger the child, the stronger this connection. A woman also needs a feeling of security and safety, she receives it from her man. If there are strained relationships in the family, scandals, if a woman is left without material or psychological support, then she feels anxiety, which is involuntarily transmitted to the baby.

And one more reason that is not at all obvious at first glance is the discrepancy between the vector set of mother and child. Most often, such a discrepancy occurs when the mother of a baby with a skin vector has an anal vector. He is nimble and restless - she is leisurely and measured. The child rushes to do several things at once - the mother likes to do one thing first, then take on another. Order doesn't matter to him - mom is shaking from the disorder. The mother gradually and imperceptibly accumulates dissatisfaction with her own child: “Who is he like?” And she, even against her will, can break down, scream or even hit the baby.

And if, for example, in such situations, a child with an anal vector is more likely to develop stubbornness, touchiness, and problems with bowel movements (the baby may experience constipation, he may begin to refuse to walk), then a child with a cutaneous vector may experience symptoms hyperactivity, tics or nail biting. Both are an unconscious way to relieve tension.

Treatment options: varnish, mustard, child psychologist... Or mom?

On forums you can find a huge amount of advice on how to stop a child from biting his nails. Some suggest buying a special varnish at the pharmacy for children who bite their nails, which has a bitter taste; others advise lubricating the nails with mustard or aloe juice. If the disorder is mild and the baby has good contact with the mother, then folk remedies and pharmaceutical varnish for nail-biting children can work quite successfully. But if the baby’s sense of security and safety is seriously impaired, then if the underlying cause of the involuntary desire to bite his nails is not eliminated, such remedies are unlikely to help.

We distract attention from the bad and draw attention to the good. Drawing, modeling, and playing with sand not only keep your hands busy, but also relieve internal tension. The more busy a child’s hands are - with construction sets, mosaics, puzzles - the easier it is for him to wean himself from a bad habit. Exercises and games for fine motor skills are very useful, as well as games for two where you need to clap your hands - for example, the well-known “Ladushki” or “Aty-Bata”. We do not forget that all these activities should be accompanied by positive and friendly attention from parents.

Children with the skin vector have very sensitive skin, they need affectionate touches more than others, and strokes and massages before bed have a very beneficial effect on them.

People with the skin vector naturally move well. If age allows and the child himself does not mind, take him to a dance studio. Dancing is an excellent exercise for the skin vector; it relieves tension, teaches self-control and awareness of movements, and also brings a lot of pleasure and positive emotions. Playing sports other than wrestling, boxing, and martial arts will also be useful.

If your child also has a visual vector, especially if it is a girl, take her to a nail salon, you can even ask the master to draw beautiful flowers or, for example, airplanes on the nails. Skin-visual children have a special sensitivity to beauty, so they simply won’t be able to bite into such beauty.

You can compose a fairy tale in which the prince chose a girl with beautiful marigolds. You can promise a reward if the marigolds remain in place by the end of the week. There are many options, the main one of which is your love and care, peace and tranquility in the family.

What to do first? First, analyze the possible reasons why a child bites his nails. Did any traumatic event happen? If not, then the reason must be sought within the family. You can relieve the symptom with the help of medications or folk remedies, but be prepared for the fact that internal anxiety can manifest itself in another way, with less obvious and obvious signs, and therefore more difficult to treat.