Nail biting - 7YO

[babyglow]

Hi, posting for help as I just don't know what else to try. 7YO DS started nail biting over the pandemic, stopped for a while but it has come back hard over the last few months.

We have tried - Mavala Stop, Stop and Grow, wrapping each nail in medical tape each day (plasters come off too easily), reward charts, 10p for each day he doesn't bite and, Pokemon cards for a week of not biting. Nothing is working. The nails and cuticles are very raw and painful. We have had lots of chats about why and have narrowed the trigger down to anxiety about sports (PE at school, clubs at the weekends etc).

If you managed to get your LO to break the habit I would love to hear from you.

Struggling exactly the same as you with a 5 year old boy.

We cracked the biting by turning each nail into a game (or level) - he’s into Pokémon too!

This worked to get them grown back. Each day/week we focussed on one nail that couldn’t be bitten until he’d cracked all 10 levels.

Thought we’d nailed it (excuse the pun!) but since he’s gone back after half term he’s started again at school. Like you have tried everything else and so if anyone has any solutions that has worked for them then I’d love to hear…

I was a nail biter growing up and didn't crack it til adulthood. It's extremely difficult. I still sometimes lapse and it's hard to catch myself. If I'm anxious or thinking through something then I'm almost in a little trance and not aware I'm doing it.

As it's a fairly new habit maybe the best approach would be to try and replace it with something else. Nail biting is essentially a form of stimming. While they're off for the summer holidays you could get them to choose a fidget toy to use instead of nail biting. It will take some doing but as they're off school you're around more to catch them because, as I say, they might not even be aware they're doing it. Having the self-awareness to pick up the fidget toy instead of nail biting will be difficult to start with.

You might need to try a few different fidget toys until you find one that does the trick. Something that can be picked at might scratch the itch. Or something to actually bite down upon. Or just your usual fidget spinner or something like that.

70yo nail biter awaits your solution.

Unfortunately I haven't any advice as we are struggling big time with this (DS 6). He's a very anxious child and is going through ASD assessments.

Hope you find a solution and I'll be following this thread for any tips!!

We're day 3 of super drug anti bite on 11yo dd and so far so good. It is truly foul tasting.

Thanks all for your support, tips and suggestions. I am going to get a fidget toy for the summer, try out the superdrug anti-bite stuff. I love the idea of a Pokemon related game/challenge too.

I will report back!

Day 7 of super drug anti -bite, I put another layer on every day and it's working well

I told mine that I would stop their pocket money if they carried on biting their nails. They did stop.

Update - big improvements with the biting. Stopped completely on the left hand and have been working towards the same on the right. I am keeping the nails short and have been using all the varnishes regularly. He is still rubbing the cuticles and biting the skin if it tags but again, this is improving.

Hopefully we can crack it completely before school starts again - he is moving up the junior school so I think nerves will be high....

Good update, we are totally rehabilitated with the super drug anti bit, don't even need it now and I had to cut her nails as they were so long!!

Great news it’s working!!

We’ve tried Stop and Grow but it didn’t stop him. is the Superdrug one better would you say?

Did try the local Superdrug and were told they’d stopped selling it. Will try another store…

In a similar position with my 4 year old, what do you feel worked? Was it the superdrug anti bite stuff? We tried something similar and didn't make a difference