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How to Stop Your Kid's Nail Biting Habit

Posted on 29 June 2020 by Admin | cooking 3 min read

Are you worried about your child's nail biting habit? If yes, you're not alone. More than 50% of children aged between 4 to 16 have the habit of biting their nails. It is a common nervous habit found in many children and doesn't generally require medical attention unless it's very serious. Besides being a gross habit to look at, nail biting can be bad for your child's teeth and also comes in the way of your child's memory and concentration abilities. Our preschool in Banashankari , Bangalore actively encourage parents to utilise the following tips to keep their kids from nail biting. Try these:

1 - Cut your child's nails everyday

Cutting your child's nails everyday helps keep the surface area of nails at a minimum, leaving no space for dirt or grime. This is a must for children who take to nail biting as it lessens the chances of dirt or bacteria to come in contact with your child's mouth. Ensure that there are no nail cuticles left behind after cutting nails.

2 - Try to find a healthier alternative

For most children, nail biting is a nervous habit that's done to ward off stress or fear. Thus, if you can find a healthier alternative to burst stress, your child might part ways with nail biting. For older children, a healthier alternative could be snacking on sticky carrots or celery and for younger ones, healthy food

snacks like peanut bars can be given. Remember to be sure about the health parameter of the new biting toy you've chosen for your child. The goal is to keep them healthy while addressing their nervous habit and not adding up a few extra calories to their diet unnecessarily.

3 - Create rewards

Work out a reward system with your child where you'll reward something to him or her every day they keep from nail biting. Rewards could be anything from taking them to their favourite park or that movie outing they've been asking for. Ensure that your child is playing this game of rewards honestly without simply tricking you into believing whatever they tell. Explain your kids the importance of playing this game with honesty.

4 - Bite-averting nail polish

This tip is for those children who are aggressive nail biters and who don't do it just as a nervous habit but as a routine. Observe your child closely for a day or two and check if they're nail biting every hour of the day. In such cases, it is essential that you resort to more aggressive strategies to ward off their nail biting habit. One such strategies is to use a Bite-averting nail polish which leaves a sense of distaste in your child's mouth after biting. Ensure that these nail polishes won't be of great harm to their health.

5 - Have a code word between the two of you which'll alarm your kid against nail biting while in crowds

When there are many people around, calling out on your child about his or her nail biting habit might embarrass your child. Instead, have a code word or a body signal which will immediately alarm your child to stop biting nails while you're in crowds.

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