With 2024 in full swing, perhaps it’s time to break some old habits.
If you catch your child gnawing at their nails at any given moment, it may seem harmless, but it’s definitely a habit you likely want to limit or stop.
Reasons for nail-biting can range from boredom to satisfaction, as well as more worrying causes such as anxiety, nerves, or stress.
Now that the New Year is here, it may be a great resolution for your little one to try keep this year!
As someone who notoriously bit their nails as a young girl and teenager, it was only when I began getting my nails done in salons that I was able to quit the habit for good.
None of those disgusting nail varnishes worked for me, so I can appreciate this expert advice as someone who found it near impossible to quit.
There are, however, a number of ways to kick the habit while your little one is young so they don’t carry into adolescence or adulthood.
Dr. Dana Nails, who specialises in dermatologist-developed nail care, took to TikTok to share the various ways parents can help their children tackle their nail-biting problem.
She first recommends sitting your child down and having a conversation about habits and how common they are, as well as reassuring them that they can be broken.
“They are much harder [to break] the longer the habit persists, and so childhood is the perfect time to break a habit.
“Talk about the spread of germs and how when they put their fingers in their mouth, they’re spreading germs from the environment into the oral cavity.”
@drdananails ? Attention Parents ? Here are some #naildoctor approved tips to help your kids to stop #nailbiting! #drdananails #kidsnailbiting #nailhealth #parentsoftiktok #parenttips #parenttip #parenttipsandtricks #parenttok ♬ original sound – Dr.Dana Nails
The next tip that Dr. Dana shares is to give your nail-biter a loose, bright, and coloured rubber band to serve as a visual reminder not to bite their nails.
“It’s also something they can play with in lieu of biting,” she explains, “and unlike a fidget cube or spinner or stress ball, it’s always going to be with them.”
Lastly, the dermatologist encourages using a reward chart, depending on your child’s age, to keep them on track as well as positively reinforce their efforts to break their habit.
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