Why Does A Child Chew His Nails?
Onycophagia, or more commonly nail biting, is a very common habit, especially in children. It’s hard for many adults to leave their nails alone, but why do so many children chew their nails?
This habit can start as early as the age of three and is often very difficult to get rid of. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a person to chew their nails even as an adult.
While this can be tricky, we as parents should try to prevent nail biting from becoming a habit for the child. Although this is a very common practice, chewing nails can have detrimental consequences. Namely, it can even affect a child’s development, oral health, and also his or her self-confidence.
Next, we’ll explain why so many kids chew their nails, and share a few tips to help parents stop the habit.
Why does a child chew their nails and what are the risks in the habit?
Chewing nails is not a disease, but a habit and an obsessive act. It is usually not done consciously and there is no specific goal behind it, such as getting attention from parents . The ultimate reason for this may be that the child has not fully learned from sucking the thumb.
However, there are other possible reasons for nail biting. The child may develop this habit due to curiosity, boredom, or imitation, or, for example, to relieve stress or just to form a habit.
Chewing nails is a way to deal with the powerful emotions experienced in childhood. If a child is found to chew their nails from time to time so that he or she does not harm himself or herself, there is probably no cause for concern.
Most often, the way of chewing disappears with age, but it is important that the child does not get this way at all, as it carries some risks.
The first danger is that the child will harm himself. Bites can cause inflammation in the gums, can affect tooth development and growth, and can also promote wart development.
Chewing can also lead to a drop in a child’s self-esteem, as it makes the nails look uncomfortable.
How to prevent a child from chewing their nails?
Often a child gets this habit all on their own, but if the nail biting doesn’t stop or if it’s very distracting, take the action tips we’ve just introduced to help prevent it from continuing.
First, as parents, we need to be patient and understanding with our children, but good tactics to make nail biting disappear include:
Do not put your child in custody or punish him or her otherwise. Unless this is a conscious act, it is difficult to prevent a child from chewing their nails. Punishing him for something he doesn’t consciously do is not a good choice.
- Try to find out the reasons for the habit. Regardless of the remedy you use, if you don’t know the reason for your child’s nails chewing, you won’t be able to get this habit to go away. Talk to the child, explain the situation to him or her, and find out together how you could change this acquired habit. In addition, you should pay attention to those things that clearly cause nail biting.
- Give your child options. You can suggest other things or relaxation techniques in those moments when she feels the urge to bite her nails. In addition to causing her attention to be diverted elsewhere and helping to ignore that desire, these means help reduce the tension and nervousness that the child experiences.
- Try to get him to exercise. Because chewing nails is usually a stress-induced habit, physical activity can help keep this bad phenomenon at bay. In addition, physical activity in childhood is important for a child’s development.
- Be very patient. Getting rid of a bad habit takes longer than a day or a few. This is a long and slow process that requires a lot of perseverance and effort. Encourage your child to find better ways to adapt to problems so he or she can control his or her nail-biting impulses, and show him or her that you support him or her in every way.
When do you have to worry about nail biting?
It’s easy to think of chewing your nails just as a little dilemma, because that’s very common. Sometimes chewing a child’s nails can be a sign of severe anxiety. If your child’s fingers are ulcerated or bloody, or if he has warts or inflammation, you should take him to a doctor.
Please note that it is always advisable to consult a pediatrician if this is associated with other signs or symptoms of nervousness. For example, if you find that she is pinching her skin, plucking her eyelashes or hair, or if her sleep rhythm changes, see a doctor.
