I can not get my 5 yo to stop biting his nails. I've finally figured out that he does it at night...lying in bed. He's told me that he does it b/c he's hungry, lol! I was a little shocked to hear that. 
He's been doing this for about a year now. He started last year when I put him in headstart. I think it started as a nervous tick or something. I've tried getting him to interlock/lace his fingers together or squeeze his pikachu (pokemon toy that he sleeps with) when he wants to bite his nails, but it's not working.
His fingers are getting sore and they look really awful.....I'm considering taking him to the doctor.
Can anyone offer any helpful advice, please!!!!!
I'm use to be a nail bitter. People do it for different reasons: stress, bordom, nervousness. Hard to say with your little guy. I've never bit my nails in my sleep but my mom still does. If you find an answer make sure to post it, I keep waiting fr her to chew down to the bone!
He hated so much about headstart; and it seemed to make him nervous; and I watched him bite his nails SO MUCH at headstart.
He used to do it right in front of us, but we kept getting on him about it, so he eventually did it in private.
I will let you know if I find out a "cure"!
My 6 yo also bites his nails! I am at my wits end trying to make him stop, but the more I say, the worse it seems to get. He will stop for a while, but he always starts back up.
I think it is just a force of habit now, and he seems to do it more when he is stressed. (ie: Doesn't want to do something/go somewhere or especially when he thinks he is in trouble - which is often 
)
It is very frustrating for me, so I can only imagine what it is like for him. He bites them down so close, I'm sometimes afraid they must hurt! He will start Kindergarten in about 10 days, so he is excited about that, but still a little aprehensive about being away...he always has stayed home with me except for a short time when he was in a church preschool. (Long story, but that DID NOT work for us!)
If anyone has ANY suggestions...I am listening!
We are also dealing with the kindergarten thing; he'll go in 1 week..........he's very excited but its such a huge thing. I'm sure his nail biting will get worse. I just want to nip it in the bud!!
Please......someone.........help us, lol! (and our precious children)
I used to fit in that category, but I did not start til High School, I chewed and chewed til I was 25, and then one day I looked at my hands and saw how ugly they were. I cold turkeyed it. My son bit his nails when he was about 6. They used to have a product on the market that you could paint on, it was not a real pleasant taste. I don't know if is still available, but I bet they have something. You might try gloves at night. They say it takes 30 days to develop a habit, and the reverse to quit, not sure if that works with everything. MY son is now 36 and does not bite. I think that stress sometimes is the culprit for the startup, starting school is a major life change. I also wonder if there are some heritary factors. I have 2 brothers that bite both over 50, my father was a biter, and so was his father.....go figure. Good Luck in your endeavors.
I used to have a friend that bit nails and she used the stuff you are talking about. But I have not seen it in years...it might be worth looking for!
I can get him to stop temporarily, by ... 
...threatening to paint his fingernails pink! It works every time, but seriously, I don't want to have to explain WHY my SON'S fingernails are PINK!
I'm hoping he will grow out of it, but some of these posts are shaking my optimism!
I AM NOW 35 AND HAVE BIT SINCE I HAVE BEEN LITTLE. IT IS ALL NERVES. I TRIED THE STUFF THAT TASTES HORRIBLE AND THAT DID NOT WORK FOR ME, I CHEWED THEM ANYHOW! FOR A FEW DAYS I DON'T AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I START AGAIN. I WOULD LOVE TO STOP BUT I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO DO IT. GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE YOU NIP IT IN THE BUD. I AM GLAD THAT MY TWO KIDS HAVE NOT PICKED UP ON MY HABIT. I GUESS IT COULD BE WORSE SO MAYBE THE KIDS WILL OUTGROW IT.
I can get him to stop temporarily, by ...
...threatening to paint his fingernails pink! It works every time, but seriously, I don't want to have to explain WHY my SON'S fingernails are PINK!I'm hoping he will grow out of it, but some of these posts are shaking my optimism!
I tell my son the same thing. 
I know I used to and my mom let me have nail polish not to, too bad it doesn't work with boys.
I have been a nail biter since I was little. All three of my siblings bite thier nails and my mother bites her nails. I tried for years to stop with no success! I tried the polish you are talking about, it never worked. Now my 3 year old daughter has started biting her nails and I have tried everything to get her to stop. I even dipped her fingers in tabasco! She still bites. Since I figured she probably picked it up from me I finally started getting acrylics put on. I can't bite those easily! Also if there is no jagged edges I find I am much less likely to bite. You might try filing or buffing any rough areas on his nails, so they are nice and smooth. In the past the few times I have stopped biting without getting fake nails put on have been when I carried a nail file around with me to quickly file and jagged edge I might feel. Also gum chewing helps some. Anything to keep the mouth busy.
I have bit my nails for as long as I can remember. I will have to say that I finally stopped but it took 40 yrs for me to do it. I did it cold turkey and have been stopped now for 4 months. Nothing worked for me. Now I am trying to get my daughter to stop also saying if I can do it you can also. The only problem is she does not bite her nails she picks at them including the toes, yuck.
Now I am trying to get my daughter to stop also saying if I can do it you can also. The only problem is she does not bite her nails she picks at them including the toes, yuck.
My son does this also...You have to be very careful not to tell him: "Don't bite your fingernails!" Because if you do, he will bite his toenails instead, and as much as I hate watching him bite his fingernails...that is 1000x worse!
My son does this also...You have to be very careful not to tell him: "Don't bite your fingernails!" Because if you do, he will bite his toenails instead, and as much as I hate watching him bite his fingernails...that is 1000x worse!
Okay I didn't want to admit it because I thought my kid was just really strange but I've caught my son doing that and he's 7! I agree it's far worse to watch them do this.
Ok ok Ill admit it..I bite my nails and I have since Ive had top and bottom teeth! Im almost 19 now...so thats my entire life soo far 
I dont bite my nails so short that they bleed or anything, just so that there isnt any white
I dont even realize that I do it anymore. It drives my boyfriend NUTS!
He has recently started smacking my hand and ive become quite aware that I do it ALL the time.
I even have pictures of me on the pitchers mount playing softball with my hand in my mouth
Ive tried EVERYTHING to stop...I really do want pretty nails.
The nasty tasting polish does work...but i seemed to scrape it all off and bite anyways.
The only time Im able to not bite is when, by chance, i dont bite for awhile for whatever reason and look and my hands and see white tips. Once they grow out a bit, I dont have any problem letting them grow until.............................................
one breaks and they arent the same length, or they get too long and I cant stand it anymore and I bite them all off.
So...now that you know my life story about my nail biting habit, i would try the polish. I do know they still sell it, meijers and walgreens for sure.
PS... just be glad its his nails hes putting in his mouth and not a cigarette.....
Well, in my case...his Daddy smokes, so only time will tell what his next "vise" will be! Either one is a hard habit to break!
When my sister was about 4 my mom and dad got her to quit sucking her thumb by promising that our dad would quit smoking. The old goat never did understand why she was mad at him because she carried out her end of the bargain and he's still smoking more than 20 years later. 
If his dad can follow through the deal my parents had with my sister might be a good one to work out. Just make sure that if he quits his dad does.
I had forgot all about the biting of the toenails!!!
He actually did this, too! And, he bit one side down really bad and it got infected and we had to literally squeeze the infection out it was so bad!
He screamed and cried, and I think thats why he stopped with his toes!!!
I have given him alternatives to biting his nails and since I started this thread, I can already see some white!!!!
I did put some polish on his nails just to really get it in his head!!!! Most of it has chipped off, but it really did get to him.
Good Luck to everyone else out there dealing with this problem!!!
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