Nail biting
 

My son has been biting his nails for a while, but recently he has started on his toe nails, well his finger nails weren't bitten too much down to the knuckle so i didnt do much about it, well apart for tell him to get them out of his mouth but now hes moved to his toes i think its time i did something about it so i went out and bought some STOP'nGROW yesterday.
Well im asking if anyone has tried this before and to see if it works ?
My son is 8 and has to be doing something all the time, any advise on what else i can do to help him stop biting his nails would be appreciated:)

Re: Nail biting
 

this may sound silly but try him with some worry beads, if he needs to be doing something let him play with those, they dont have to be worry beads, just some beads or even blue tack, something that will be in his hands all the time that he can fiddle with

Re: Nail biting
 

nail biting is a habit, and habits are hard to give up!, iv been biting my nails since god knows when, i have tried alsorts from that bitter taste nail polish to doing summat with ya hands, but it never works in the end:(

sorry but as they say ...ya can lead a horse to water but ya cant make em drink it:rolleyes:

Re: Nail biting
 

get him some galvanised ones jacky, much tastier.:D

Re: Nail biting
 

I stopped biting my nails when they took my teeth out.

Re: Nail biting
 

Dog poo is a much cheaper alternative as a deterrent for nail biters.

It is also readily available, just ask Margaret R. :D

Smear it all over his fingernails......I don't think there's anybody who would continue biting their nails LOL. :D

Re: Nail biting
 

I liked the idea of the beads but i would be a bit bothered he might chew them but i will take a look into that, thankyou flashy

oh lily what you like, i doubt he would let me put dog poop on his fingers , i might end up with social services knocking at my door, but its a funny one

Re: Nail biting
 

buy some metal ones then, he'd not bite those, he might lose his teeth ;)

Re: Nail biting
 

I found that stop and grow didnt work .... you soon got used to the taste!!! The same with all the supposedly nasty tasting stuff.

I bought Sally Hansens Nail Hardener ... Its hard to bite through that.

Re: Nail biting
 

try some stardrops ( the washing up liquid stuff) it is loaded with bitrex and tastes awful

Re: Nail biting
 

Try smacking him in the gob.

One a similar note I had a dog that used to eat the table so I sprayed some stuff on it to stop him eating it. He just lick the yukky tasting stuff off as I sprayed it on then carried on eating the table.

Re: Nail biting
 

Wish I was fit enough to bite my own toe nails !
I'd be more concerned about him biting his finger nails, sometimes kids just stop doing it "just like that" !

Re: Nail biting
 

Isn't bitrex poisonous?......yes I know I suggested dog poo, which isn't exactly well known for its health benefits but I was joking.

Are you joking or serious? :confused:

Edit......ignore me, I was thinking of borax, not bitrex.

Re: Nail biting
 

Borax....That's a laxative is'nt it.....Oh no sorry that's Exlax :):p

Re: Nail biting
 

bitrex is the bitterest substance invented.....

anyone else want to taste it, just to see what the bitterest substance tastes like.... or is that just me?

http://www.bitrex.com/

Re: Nail biting
 

They used to say Bitter Aloes (available at chemists) was the best thing. Painted on the nails, apparently, it tastes dreadful.

None of my children ever bit their nails but my son picked his off, which is worse really. I don't know how or why he started doing it but he picked his finger and toe nails off down to the quick and he did it for over 10 years. They looked disgusting but nothing anyone said or did made any difference. Once or twice he even got infections in the nail bed and even that didn't stop him. He did stop, when he was in his late teens, but he replaced that habit with cracking his knuckles - eeeeeek! :eek: He's a lovely fellah, my son, but - dear God - he tested my parental patience to the limit at times. :D

It's a tough call, trying to help someone break a habit (I know - I used to be a smoker) but I don't think much helps. He may just grow out of it, with luck. Meantime, be very glad he's supple enough to bite his toe nails. I am, actually, quite impressed. :cool:

Re: Nail biting
 

i was joking about the stardrops - but the bitrex in it is probably what they put in those nail remedies - the bitrex itself iisnt poisness it just stops kiddies - or anyone for that matter from drinking poisinous substances - it is supposed to be bitter enough that it induces the instinct to vomit -so yes i was joking - but then again if its as bad as you say ........

Re: Nail biting
 

its normal for a boy to do that he will stop in is own time,for now jive him a stress ball,my son bit is nails till he was 13 then just stop.

Re: Nail biting
 

I made my daughter scraped her finger nails and take it to school to inspect under the microscope,what was crawling about in that , when she saw the bugs , she never bit her nails agin !!!!

Re: Nail biting
 

I have not used it before. But i heard hypnosis also works well to stop nail biting. My daughter stopped such habit after i took her to hypnosis treatment. from thoughtsbecomereality. They provided good tips and the better treatment to stop such habit.

Re: Nail biting
 

I stopped biting my finger nails during my second pregnancy, but never had the desire to bite my toe nails. :rolleyes:

Re: Nail biting
 

put pepper on your bum.

i guarentee after a good itch the last thing you will want to do is bite your finger nails

Re: Nail biting
 

Clip your nails. The only reason I ever bite mine is because they've get too long and are uncomfortable but the second I clip them all desire goes out of the window.

My aunt used to recommend quinine paste under the nails but I doubt you can buy that anymore.