stop biting their nails

Your child may bite his nails for any number of reasons – curiosity, boredom, stress relief, habit, or imitation. Nail-biting is the most common of the so-called "nervous habits," which include thumb-sucking, nose picking, hair twisting or tugging, and teeth grinding. Address her anxieties. "Our initial response when children do something that worries us is to try to stop the behavior, and that's fine as a long-term goal," Don't nag or punish. Unless your child really wants to stop biting his nails, you probably can't do much about it. Like other nervous habits, nail-biting tends to be unconscious. Help her when she wants to stop. If your child's friends are teasing her, she may be ready to stop – and she'll need your help. Talk about breaking habits. Begin a discussion with your child about what nervous habits are and how it's possible to break them. Help her become aware of the habit. Encourage your child to become more aware of when and where she bites. Agree on a quiet, secret reminder for times when she forgets – a light touch on the arm or a code word. Offer an alternative. Suggest a substitute activity or two. Try – and try again. Explain to your child that different people respond to different techniques, and encourage her to try a variety of solutions if the first one doesn't work. In general, the older she is, the more responsibility she can take in this endeavor.