How to quickly wean a child from biting his nails? Psychologist Marina Romanenko

Hello to all! Today we will talk about what to do when a child bites his nails.

One of the most common habits in a child is a gnawing habit. Many parents are confident that nail biting is quite normal for the baby, and therefore are inactive.

In this video, psychologist Marina Romanenko talks about the reasons for this bad habit, what it can lead to, life hacks for every day, how to quickly and easily wean a child to bite his nails:

A child bites his nails - what to do with it?

This is one of such very popular questions of parents, many have come across this when children simply bite their nails to blood and after that it is impossible even to grow a nail plate. She is constantly bitten and the nails of many children begin to exfoliate.

Why does a child bite his nails?

In fact, if we consider psychosomatics, then this indicates that the child is anxious. Somewhere in his life he is uncomfortable.

This may not apply to money. The family may have a good income, but the child bites his nails. This refers more to the internal state - somewhere, something, somehow uncomfortable to him. And at that moment in time he unconsciously takes his fingers in his mouth and begins to nibble them.

What should parents not do?

• You can not scold.You can not scold because you add discomfort, and instead of stopping biting his nails, he will bite them even more, being in a state of stress, nervous tension. Therefore, you can’t blame them for sure.
• You can’t be angry.You can’t constantly bale or get angry with a child, or be upset because he bites his nails because, seeing your frustration, he will also be nervous. He loves you, doesn’t want to upset you, and at some point in time he will start biting his nails even more.

What do parents need to do?

Need to calm down. There is a well-working technique and I will tell you now. She is simple.

1. Buy special covers

In fact, there are many means for children not to bite their nails, for the fact that there are special covers for fingers that are worn and the child simply does not have access, he cannot bite them. For some children, this worked, but for some it didn’t. Give it a try! They are sold in pharmacies and in children's stores.

2. Treat with a tasteless ointment

The second point - there are many ointments that cover the tips of the fingers. They are tasteless, and for some of the children it worked, they stopped nibbling, they tried - tasteless, they don’t nibble. And someone, like hedgehogs in a joke, "cried and continued to eat cacti." They continue to bite their nails, it is terribly tasteless, bitter, but they bite them.

Therefore, if your child is one that doesn’t work with mustard or some special ointments, then the following option will probably suit you.

3. Calming the nervous system

It is necessary to calm the nervous system. The method that I will talk about now is suitable for children who bite their nails, for those who poke their nose, sucks finger, ear lobe fumbles constantly - these are some kind of the same type of movement. Or sometimes it happens - in the navel, the child, if he is nervous, can tear the navel straight.

Announce to your child that now you are changing everything, a happy day has come, and now you can bite your nails, poke your nose, stick your finger in your navel - you can at a certain time every day.

Do it joyfully, make it a holiday, relieve this tension - because the child over the years of life with you every time he hears: “Stop doing it! Take your fingers out of your nose! Stop biting your nails! ” - He did not stop doing it, but he still shudders every time you tell him that.

Therefore, declare that it is possible, solemnly declare how the holiday is possible! - for example, from 17-00 to 17-15 every day! Solemnly promise your child that no matter what he does, at this time you will call him, and this will be the time when you can completely openly bite your nails.

What do not have to do?

No need at any other time to remind him that he is chewing. Even if he bites them, keep silent. In 17-15 he will consciously do this, and before that it is already just out of habit. In order not to intensify the nibbling, keep yourself in control and be silent for a certain time.

• Call the child, no matter what he does, at the appointed time.
• Bring him to the mirror, say: "The time has come!"
• Start a timer, and let it nibble!

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If he bit his nails with joy as much as 12 minutes, and you have according to plan 15, you say: “Dear (or dear), you have 3 more minutes, go on!”

And he continues to bite his nails - day, second, third, still rejoices. But on the fourth day, when he watches his favorite cartoon, and you call him to bite his nails, he no longer wants to. You say: “Sorry, such rules! Come on, stop the cartoon! ” Kind, benevolent: "You have time, let's go!"

What's happening?

In a very short period of time when this behavior is brought to a conscious level, and it can be done, moreover, you encourage it to do this, the nervous system reboots. She goes from the level of stress to the level of "good, you can, normal, relaxed, have fun, have fun, have fun ..."

Have fun? No, I don’t want to do this anymore!

And gradually, gradually, gradually the child more painfully wants to bite his nails at the right time. He no longer wants to do this! And the habit is gradually quitting.

But she leaves easily, leaves without a strain, without screaming, without scandals, without the child’s nervous system pulling up and yours, when you see that he is biting his nails, or makes a number of other movements, which I have already mentioned.

Try this method, it works great! The only thing that you must agree with all members of your family so that they stop making comments to the child if they see him when he bites his nails.

Remember that the habit, perhaps, will return at a particularly stressful moment, and he will unconsciously put his fingers in his mouth and begin to gnaw, but if the stress goes away, then this will go away.

Give it a try! And you will succeed. You will see how easy it is to get rid of it.

Well, and of course, it will be very useful if you think about what your child is missing, at what point in time he starts to get nervous, and how to avoid this in order to continue to live in a world where there is peace, where there is harmony, where it accept as he is, that's all!

And another very important point

You know, when we tell the child, “Do not bite your nails!”, He, of course, understands that we are saying this, but the brain does not understand, and then what? If not bite, then what? Therefore, sometimes it’s easier to tell the child: “Put your hands in your pocket!” or “Bring me this” or “Pick up something!” - and give it to him, no matter what is in your hands, you simply redirect his brain to the other side.

And no matter what he does - picking his ear, nose, navel, biting his nails - when you say “Put your hands in your pocket!”, He automatically stops doing this and puts his hands in his pocket.

This globally, of course, will not solve the problem, but a small town, from time to time, will work very well because you gave the right command to the brain, and he understands what to do.

We also read: What to do if a child bites his nails

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