Am i BU to expect my 7 tear old DD NOT to bite her nails ans skin

[Serendipity30]

I have tried every method now they are sore and bleeding, it is really bad

It's often a nervous habit. It was for me when I was young. They used to bleed and get infected and sore but I couldn't help it.

If you come up with anything let me know, my 6yo son is just the same :(

I do this, and so does my 3yo DD, my DH, my Mum, my Gran.....

It's disgusting, I know, but the only method I've found to stop me is gel nails. Can't put gel nails on my 3yo DD!

You have my sympathy but I don't know what you can do.

I bit my nails til I was about 11 and, yes, I do agree it is a nervous habit! The only thing that stopped me was when my mum did a little home manicure on them (no varnish or anything but just tidied them up and buffed). I was so proud of them looking a bit nicer that I didn't want to nibble! Some people can't help it though - I have grown women friends whose nails are like mini horror movies at the end of each finger!

YABU

I do this, well I pick at them until they bleed which is pretty minging.

It's worse when I'm stressed, but it does help to have a manicure which makes me want to keep them nice.

But really, it's a subconscious habit which is difficult to control as an adult, never mind as a child.

I do this too. I stop before they bleed though - normally.

I don't even realise I'm doing it until DH points it out. It's a habit.

oh gosh, I don't what to do then your right it is subconscious as half the time she does not know she is doing it, she can also get quite anxious about little things :-( but her fingers look horrid

Try a manicure?

There isn't much you can do. Just help her with her anxieties as much as possible. Make her feel proud to be herself every day!

Plus don't keep mentioning her nails. It doesn't help...believe me!

YABU. I am an adult nailbiter and it's incredibly difficult to stop myself, pretty much impossible for a young child. What works for me is keeping them filed (ragged edges are an irresistable temptation) and painted, unusally just clear, but the texture of the varnish reminds me to stop somehow. Don't think this is particularly useful for a 7yo though... my mum tried all the horrible tasting varnish stuff with me as a child and I'm afraid to say nothing worked.

Thank you for all the great suggestions especially in building her self confidence and tackling the anxiety

do i just ignore it totally though?? and hope she grows out of it??

I bite my nails, often til it is sore. I would love not too, but I just can't. i have tried all manner of stuff, but it is usually self conscious. I just don't realise til it is too late. My nails are awful. I am embarrassed by them. I hide my hands all the time. I'd love a miracle cure.

I do this too. Managed to stop biting the nails (but not the skin around) for my sister's wedding last year, as soon as it was over it started again, no clue how. I was so proud of myself too!

The only thing you can do is keep them short. There used to be some chilli-tasting nail polish for nail biters when I was a child but no idea if it still exists.

I'm 28 and have done this since I was 6, just like everyone else its something I don't realise I'm doing and is all down to neves. My fingers are horrible, I bite the skin down to the first knuckle, they hurt, they bleed and I'm embrassed if anyone notices them.

Show her a picture of my swollen, red sore fingers, that would have put me off!

I would say don't 'nag' her and I think the manicure idea is really good, if I could get mine to look half way decent now that would help me stop. Unfortunatly there is just too much scar tissue now, they will never look nice :(

It really is a hard habit to break. Nails are right there at the end of your finger so v v hard to give up. Both my DD's bite theirs.

I bit mine for 38 years. I still bite the skin at the side when I'm stressed (but don't cause any pain) but I have mostly given up now. I listened to a hynosis CD and it worked straight away. I know that's of no help to you.

I'm hoping that mentioning how nice their friends nails look and encouraging them to let theirs grow so I can give them manicures will work eventually. Maybe you could try that?

I know you only have her best interests at heart, but I don't really think it's any of your business. We're all allowed our nervous habits.

G1nger she's seven she is my business. Thank you too everyone else for their comments, it has been helpful to hear from other nail biters, as i am not one and i can see how she may feel about them

She started last year, and i am trying to support her to feel less anxious, she seems to do it at school, so clearly something there is bothering her. Do you think asking her to keep a diary about her day and worries would help?? you know if she voices how she feels she may feel better.

I stopped biting my nails when I was about 8 but I still chew and pick the skin around them, often making them bleed. And yes, I'm a very anxious person, never been able to change it.

Dd2 does this. She even bites the nails on her prosthesis . The nail yucky stuff works on her normal nails, but doesn't on the prosthesis.

She'll pick when she feels stressed - at that particular time - so the best you can hope for is that talking about something will help her. It can't hurt to try. My parents used to nag me to stop - and I never did. I might have hidden it from them more, but I'm still doing it in my 30s. If I really focus, I can stop for a while (try offering her Vaseline to rub on the fingers where she picks, or a plaster if there's a really affected finger. Compliment her when they start healing - tell her how nice they look). But it'll always be one of my habits. (my husband nags me about it now. It's none of his business either).

I go through good phases and bad phases but always bite.

Its lovely that you want to help her with her anxioties (darn no spell check sorry!) That could very well help, I like the idea of a diary, whether it helps with the nails or not I can't see how it wouldn't help with any school issues she could be having.

Its a really hard habit to break, I've quit smoking and become vegan but don't have the disapline to stop biting!

When I quit smoking I had a braclet I would ping instead to break that habit, to take my mind off of it. Maybe something like that could distract her

A diary is a good idea if you are worried she is anxious about things, although it probably won't stop her biting her nails. I wouldn't worry about the nail biting tbh, if it provides her a little bit of comfort then there's nothing wrong with that. It may look horrible, but that doesn't really matter. It won't hurt her, and you have a much better chance of getting her to stop when she is older and cares about her nails looking nice. I'd be wary of sending the message that she should have nice looking nails, it will just give her something else to feel anxious about if she feels like you think a part of her looks horrible.

I bit my nails horribly until I was about 12 or 13, and I can remember my Mum nagging me to stop. It didn't work. But now I have really nice nails (without wanting to sound braggy) and I quite often get compliments or asked if they are real. Your dd will not be ruining her nails forever.

I bit my nails until I was 33. And then just stopped one day. Maybe you could get her some worry beads instead.