How do I get my 4 year old to stop bitting her nails - Parenting Issues Message Board

Im_Robyn · 03-12-2003, 08:35 PM

For about a year now my daughter who is only four has been bitting her nails. It's so bad that I can barely even see them she bites them down to almost nothing. Every time I catch her doing I tell her to stop and that she cant wear nail polish which she loves. But she won't stop it's making me crazy, any advice would be appreiciated.

lilihob · 03-14-2003, 03:41 PM

have you tried the paint on pepper solution?
my 4yr old used to gnaw hers right down til they bled. the nasty stuff discouraged her, and i combined it with a reward system, when her nails got to a decent length, i bought her the barbie she had her heart set on.
she hasn't bit them for over a year!!

good luck!
ps try your local pharmacy for the stuff.

Im_Robyn · 03-15-2003, 02:33 AM

Thank you I will try that, I'll try anything I'm desparate.

H.Kondriac · 03-16-2003, 07:49 PM

When I was 9 I was forced to wear socks on my hands as a punishment from biting my fingernails. My dad put pepper solution on my fingernails as well. Nothing ever worked. I am 32 now and still bite my fingernails. I grew them out one time when I was 30 but didn't like them long because dirt kept getting under them. For some people nothing will work.

mommyof5 · 03-22-2003, 05:49 AM

Im_Robyn,

I think it's funny how different people are about their nails!. I need my nails! I use them for all kinds of things (like little tools

, lol) I get really p***** off when one of them breaks and I can't use it (also it hurts because they break low and my quick(sp) is high). My brother used to bite his nails until they bled and the skin around them (ouch). I would suggest that Pepper nail polish also, the one I have here is "nail biter" by sally hansen, but be careful

, when my mom put it on my brother it stung like h*** because he chewed the skin around the nail too. I used it on my oldest dd a couple of years ago when she was about 10 and she would tell me it wore off fast so I had to apply it everyday. 2 of my other kids ds- 9 and dd - 7 pick and peel there nails (strange to me

) how can I stop that? My dd - 6 is like me she doesn't want me to cut hers because she also uses them like little tools, so I still clip them (so they aren't jagged) but leave them long enough to be able to use. My ds - 3 is starting to pick and peel his too but I usually try to keep his short because in a tantrum he scratches! Sorry to tell you my family "nail" life story but like I said I think it's funny how people are so different about their nails

mommyof5

[This message has been edited by mommyof5 (edited 03-22-2003).]