Toddler biting nails - help!

[The_Ogre]

So we have this issue with our almost four year old.

Does anybody have any advice on what to do, things we can use, etc.

Its come to the point where my wife told me the other day she doesn't know when last she needed to cut the little one's nails.

I'm not sure if she has anxiety problems or if its just naughtiness.

Ideas?

 

[googoodoll]

Just get stop grow or something from the pharmacy. I used it when I was little and stopped biting after a few days. Bf used something similar a while ago and stopped biting after about a day of putting the stuff on.

 

[Electric]

We had the same issue at around the same age with my son.
We bought some of the bitter nail polish you get from the chemist.
Stops the biting pretty quickly.

Firstly because it tastes absolutly terrible when the nail is bitten but secondly because my son didn't like the idea of wearing nail polish.
Not that you can see it but it was enough for him to stop.

 

[The_Ogre]

OK thanks guys. So its something you apply like nail polish?

 

[googoodoll]

OK thanks guys. So its something you apply like nail polish?

yes but its not really like paint, so you won't see a thing.

 

[Electric]

OK thanks guys. So its something you apply like nail polish?

It's a nail polish.
With the paint brush n all.

 

[Venomous]

OK thanks guys. So its something you apply like nail polish?

It is similar to clear nail polish.

 

[Batista]

Why is biting nails so taboo?I find it extremely helpful in stressful situations.

 

[Chevron]

Why is biting nails so taboo?I find it extremely helpful in stressful situations.

1. It's disgusting. Nails are dirty.
2. You're not an animal. We have tools for this.
3. Makes your nails look terrible.
4. Bad for your teeth.

 

[XennoX]

1. It's disgusting. Nails are dirty.
2. You're not an animal. We have tools for this.
3. Makes your nails look terrible.
4. Bad for your teeth.

View attachment 92164

 

[DJ...]

Swedish Bitters - the tried and tested method for years...

 

[RiaX]

scold him ... old school parenting

 

[DerpiesFreud]

I remember a friend of a friend doing this on her nipples to stop breastfeeding.
Psychology is quite an interesting field..

 

[Celine]

my daughter bit her nails for years and even the stuff we bought from the pharmacy didn't help. she only stopped when she had to get braces. she couldn't bite her nails anymore because the braces got in her way lol.

 

[Arthur]

Your toddler is normal. Quit trying to bypass nature/evolution. Nails are meant to be bitten until you can operate a nail clipper.

 

[cerebus]

Your toddler is normal. Quit trying to bypass nature/evolution. Nails are meant to be bitten until you can operate a nail clipper.

This. I'd chill out about it a bit. You'll just stress the child out unnecessarily. Our 3 year old is going through a phase of playing with his willy now - I could either worry to death that he'll become weird, or let him grow up a bit and grow out of it.

You need to confront these things at a time when the child is emotionally able to understand it. Don't overanalyse it thinking that there's some deeper psychological reason; it's just a habit that they've picked up and may or may not drop as they grow up.