N6 Educational Psychology
Next, decide how involved you should be in his plan to quit. Does he want you to remind him when he lapses, or will that irritate him? The older the children are, the less parental involvement they usually prefer.
Help him become aware of the habit • Encourage your child to become more aware of when and where he bites. • Agree on a quiet, secret reminder for times when she forgets – a light touch on the arm or a code word.
Some kids benefit from physical reminders that call their attention to the habit the moment they do it. This option is helpful as long as your child is the one choosing to try it.
• He might find it helpful to wear adhesive bandages on his fingertips or girls can paint their nails with a couple of layers of nail polish to make biting more of a challenge.
• If the child wants to try painting his nails with a bitter-tasting solution, that's fine, but check the label. Some solutions contain ingredients like cayenne pepper that can sting if a child rubs her eyes.
• Girls sometimes find that a trip to a salon for a fancymanicure helps them stop biting their nails.
Offer an alternative • Suggest a substitute activity or two. (Give play dough/a stress ball to play with on long car rides, for instance, or a smooth stone to hold while reading.) Have your child practise the alternative habit for a few minutes before school or at bedtime.
• In addition, identify some relaxation techniques to try when he feels the urge to bite – deep breathing, for example, or clenching and releasing his fists.
• If he's old enough, teach him how to use an emery board and keep one on his bedside table or in a handy spot in the bathroom.
• Make sure he has plenty of opportunity to run and play – outside, if possible – to burn off tension and nervous energy
Finally, remind her – and yourself – that habits are hard to break and that the two of you are on the same side. Take a break if you need to, and make sure your child gets plenty of affection and attention no matter how successful she is in breaking her habit. Eventually, your patience and persistence will pay off.
3 When to worry about nail biting
In rare cases, severe nail biting can signal excessive anxiety. Consult your child's doctor if nail biting makes his fingertips sore or bloody, if he's also doing other worrisome behaviours (such as picking at his skin or pulling out his eyelashes or hair), or if he's not sleeping well.
Also, consult the doctor if your child's nail-biting habit surfaced suddenly and escalated quickly. In either case, professional counselling may be in order.
4 Keeping record
Does it happen often or only under certain circumstances? Observe the behaviour
When does he bite his nails? Is it before/after a specific activity? Is there a pattern? Is it only while he is watching TV?
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