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Parenting

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Original poster

Chewing her nails - is she stressed - is it my fault?

6 replies

spagblog · 09/08/2005 07:59

My 3.5 yr old bites her nails and it is starting to worry me.
We haven't had it easy for over a year now. My DH is out of work and life is very unsettled.

She loves her new school and being around other kids, but if I watch her play she seems to latch on to kids and is hurt if they tell her to go away. Then she stands there chewing her fingers and watching them from under her fringe.

She doesn't always let on how she feels, and I worry that she feels she can't come to me.
I am always running after 1yr old DS and as he takes up so much of my time I feel that I have been overly cross and impatient with her lately.

Sometimes I worry that she thinks that I don't care about her. I do struggle to be patient with her because she can be a stubborn mule!

Sorry I have waffled on. I guess I just want to know what I can do to build her confidence, and how I can stop her biting her nails.

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nailpolish · 09/08/2005 08:02

my dd used to do this (shes not even 3 yet!) i started to give her 'manicures' with a little bit of pale pink polish and now she has stopped.

i think it started because her daddy bites his and she was copying - does your dd know anyone who bites their nails? maybe she has just copied them,

Kayleigh · 09/08/2005 08:17

My 7 year old bites his nails and I have no idea how to get him to stop. I don't think manicures are going to do the trick in his case . He isn't outwardly stressed so am at a bit of a loss.

Original poster

spagblog · 09/08/2005 08:17

Thanks. I can't think of anyone who bites their nails, but she could have picked it up from school. I will try the manicure idea!

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nailpolish · 09/08/2005 08:29

kayleigh, david beckham has regular manicures! (bit of a long shot!)

Kayleigh · 09/08/2005 09:09

blimey nailpolish, that just might do the trick. All I need now is a picture of him having one (a manicure that is)

Tommy · 09/08/2005 09:10

I used to bite my nails (in fact - I am a nail biter in that I still do it if I'm drunk). Don't know when it started but I must have been wuite young as I remember I never used to get full marks in Brownie inspection because of it
Try manicuring them (seriously) as if you file them a little bit to make them smooth, there won't be any rough bits to nibble on.
Good luck

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