Is your child one of those people who are addicted to nail biting? If so, you may also know that it is not a good habit and causes harm, but still, you do not find any way to get rid of it. It may comfort you to know that at least 60% of children are addicted to nail biting. Although this habit can be ignored in children, the maturity of this habit can cause embarrassment and anxiety for them in adulthood.
When children suffer from stress and anxiety. So they start biting their nails unconsciously, that is, they don't realize that they are doing something disgusting. They are focused on something or deep in thought. This habit is called Nervous Habit, the habit of escaping from mental chaos and confusion. This not only damages your nails but also damages your teeth. Also, due to this habit, many germs and viruses get transferred inside you and cause disease
▪Try to find out the root cause of this habit
It is very important to know why a child bites their nails. Change of home or school, difficulty in studies, and inappropriate behavior of teachers or friends can also lead to this habit. It is important to talk to the child about this and find out the reason. Lack of confidence in the child can also be the reason for this habit. Research shows that people chew their nails when they are bored, hungry, anxious, or nervous. By finding these reasons and trying to solve them, the nail-biting habit will gradually disappear.
Let us first know what are the disadvantages of nail biting.
Due to this habit, the nails become deformed and become brittle.
A smile is not attractive because the friction of the fingernails can damage your teeth and cause them to break. Apart from this, the habit of biting your nails can also cause problems in your jaws.
Germs are most common on your hands and are perfectly hidden in the nails. When you bite your nails, these bacteria enter your stomach, disrupting digestion and causing various types of infections.
This habit also causes social embarrassment and when children bite their nails, people look disapprovingly.
Biting your nails too deeply can cause them to grow into your skin, causing extreme discomfort.
This habit can lead to oral diseases, gum inflammation, and other oral health problems.
If you follow the following tips, these things can also help you or your children to reduce and eliminate the habit of biting their nails.
▪KEEP NAILS SHORT
The shorter the nails, the harder it will be to chew them. Trim the nails regularly, for example, set aside one day of the week for nail trimming. When the nails are not big, you won't have anything to chew on.
▪WEAR GLOVES OR NAIL STICKERS
Wear gloves or apply nail stickers on the hands, then children will not get a chance to chew their nails, and even if they carelessly touch their hands to their mouths, they will be safe from eating nails.
▪KEEP HANDS OR MOUTH BUSY
If you keep your hands or teeth busy, you may lose the habit of clipping your nails. Holding a stress ball or chewing gum can help reduce nail biting
▪PUT SOMETHING BITTER
A bitter-tasting substance can be applied to the children's nails, meaning that whenever the child starts biting the nails, the nails will feel bitter and he will not try to do it again.
▪KEEP REMINDING
The commitment to stop nail biting may also slip from the mind, keep reminding the children to do so. Put small notes on the front wall or on the fridge, which will remind the children not to bite their nails.
▪BE ENCOURAGED
Encourage the child when he tries to stop biting his nails. It is very important to make the child realize that Yes, my child you can do it. Reward them for this effort.
▪DISTRACT THE CHILD
Sometimes it is beneficial to divert children's attention to another activity. It is also important to teach the child other ways to relieve stress. Stress can be reduced by spending time with friends, participating in sports, or taking up hobbies such as gardening.
▪PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE
Give the child an alternative to nail biting. Tell him that he can use them whenever he wants to chew nails. A soft-colored snack or a snack can be substituted. Using dry fruits or other snacks for chewing is also a good method۔