How to wean a child to bite nails?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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“How to wean a child to bite his nails?” - many parents ask themselves this question... And cannot find an answer to it. Children at different ages bite their nails, and most often this is a consequence of psychological problems, neurosis. What are the causes of this bad, from many points of view, habits?
Why does a child bite his nails?
The habit of gnawing nails is a bad habit, but it has its own reasons. Psychologists say that eliminating this bad habit is not to beat the child, shame him or scream at him. For such a habit, there is even a scientific medical term - oniophagy. This behavior, which has no definite goal, motives, such behavior is irrational. A person does something only because he cannot do something.
This act brings him relief, but only for a short time. Then the person (child) again repeats the same meaningless actions. The habit of chewing on nails without any purpose is called a compulsive habit.
The behavior in which a person gnaws the skin without any purpose is called dermatophagy.
According to research by medical professionals:
Up to one third of all children 7–10 years old have the habit of nail biting
Boys after 10 years begin to bite their nails more and more often than girls (due to the peculiarities of the psyche)
More than half of adolescents from 10 to 18 years old are addicted to the biting of nails and cannot quit it, much like smoking. Children. They bite their nails, calm down for a short time, and then begin to bite them again. If their actions are accompanied by rude behavior of adults, slaps, shouts, the neurosis of children becomes deeper, sometimes turns into a hidden form, but does not disappear anywhere.
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What is the condition of children biting their nails?
Children who bite their feet are usually very tense, and they do not even notice it. When a child bites his nails, he subconsciously calms down. True, not for long. This unpleasant from the point of view of adults process calms the nervous system of the child.
Reasons to calm the nervous system can be anxiety, worrying about something that the child wants to do better than anyone, or elementary boredom. Subconsciously, biting her nails. A man aligns, gnaws out his problems and shortcomings. The habit of gnawing nails often persists in adults.
Theories about the reasons for the habit of biting nails
The habit of gnawing nails can carry no motive, no subconscious reason, but psychologists write this, it happens extremely rarely. Basically this secret reason is.
One of the theories - biological - claims that nails are gnawed by people who, in moments of stress, trigger the need for self-care. The same thing happens in animals: in a state of anxiety, the brain produces the need to bite its own fur or pull it out.
The habit of nail biting can also be an expression of anxiety, guilt, and shame. If the parents shame the child for this habit, it can only get worse, but not disappear.
What happens if a child doesn’t stop biting his nails?
- Damaged nail plate and fingertips
- Nail growth stops
- The skin around the nail plate may become covered with sores, scratches, hematomas
- The surface near the nail may become infected.
- Viral or bacterial infections can penetrate through the wounds near the nails into the child’s body.
If a child takes dirty hands into the mouth, the mouth can become infected due to bacteria that have entered the body through wounds near the nail.
How to disaccustom the child to gnaw nails?
First, the actions of an adult should be consistent - do not hope for a quick effect from screaming or slapping.
You can not blame the child for this habit, shout at him, because the baby will be more anxious, he will have even more psychological problems - now because of the fear of adults.
We need to talk to the kid about what worries him, maybe he needs help with any problems. As soon as the child receives this help, the habit of nail biting can pass by itself.
You need to pay more attention to the child, give him more support than it was before. The overall psychological climate in the family is very important for the child. And then the habit of gnawing nails as a manifestation of fear and anxiety can stop without any pressure from adults.
Move the focus of the child with the hands on something more interesting. Simply put, it will be good if the hands of the child are constantly busy. Then he will not have time to bite his nails.
If a child needs to do something with his hands, buy him something that will take him: a trainer for hands, plasticine balls, which are very convenient to knead and squeeze in the palm, smooth pebbles, beads, in the end. Then the child will calm the nervous system not by gnawing at the nails, but by other, more aesthetic and less harmful activities.
For the girl, you can order a hygienic manicure and buy her beautiful rings on the fingers. Then she does not want to spoil her beautiful nails and nibble them.
For boys, you can also order a manicure, only hygienic. Beautiful and well-groomed nails still did not bother anyone. Plus, this increase in self-esteem.
The habit of nail biting is not a pleasant one, but you can cope with it if you do not leave your child alone with their problems.
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