Nail biting reflects a child’s psychological emotions, such as nervousness, depression, frustration, low self-esteem, hostility, etc. This is because the child is not receiving enough attention or lack of security. Therefore, parents should give their children more love and care, usually carefully observe their children, give them more psychological attention, and try to eliminate the factors that cause tension in children. When correcting this bad habit, you must not scold or reprimand the child, as this will create tension and anxiety, which will only aggravate the behavior, you can patiently convince and encourage the child, and also take the child to participate in some group activities, so that he can play with children, which can divert the child’s attention and dilute this action.
When is it necessary to correct nail biting?
The need to correct this bad behavior depends on the severity of the habit, the frequency of the bad behavior and the consequences.
1.Is she biting her nails all day long?
2.Does it affect her oral deformation?
3.Is it affecting her pronunciation
4.Is it affecting her finger deformation.
5. Does it affect the attention of school-age children in class
The way to correct nail biting behavior?
1, first of all, to eliminate all factors that cause tension in children is the key to prevention and treatment. Parents to the affected child to encourage the main patient persuasion and education, mobilize the child to overcome the bad habits of motivation.
Do not do: never threaten, scold, otherwise due to the rebellious mentality, she will bite more powerful.
2, more children to participate in recreational activities to divert their attention. When the child appears to bite nails, parents should distract the child’s attention, tell stories, etc.
3. Develop good hygiene habits and trim nails often.
4. Provide alternatives to keep the child’s mouth and hands occupied. For example: talk to her, sing songs, learn to play the harmonica, drink through a straw, thread beads, build blocks, insert puzzles, etc.
5. Behavior therapy (reward and punishment).
Talk to her and reward her with her favorite thing if she stops biting her nails. This time to be gradual, as long as there is a reduction in the time and frequency of finger biting, the words affirmation reward.
6, aversion therapy (not advocated, can try). Can be coated with a foreign flavor (spicy, bitter) on the finger, so that she chewed up the taste is not good, and sometimes have an effect.
7, psychotherapy: behavioral restrictions and positive guidance.
The so-called behavioral restrictions, that is, when the child bites his nails, parents should patiently teach him to slowly remove his fingers from his mouth, and show approval with a smile, nod or compliment, through a meaningful thing or toy to distract the child’s attention.
Positive guidance is to reason with the cooperating older child and make him realize that nail biting is a behavioral deviation and the dangers of nail biting, which can be completely corrected with his own efforts. The child is also encouraged to participate in more group activities and outdoor exercise to bring out his or her potential and promote healthy physical and mental development.
What parents need to do.
Parents should first recognize that nail biting is a medical condition and that simply resorting to scolding or punishment will not help, but will make the condition worse.
Second, they should actively look for factors that cause tension and apprehension, and promptly improve the child’s living environment and develop healthy habits. In addition, children should be given regular nail trims to prevent nail infections and epidermal damage.
The treatment of nail biting fetish is not effective overnight, the correction process takes a long time, so parents should not only have confidence themselves, but also enhance the confidence of the affected child.
The combination of parental supervision and self-monitoring of the child will help to eliminate nail biting as a behavioral deviation if persisted for a period of time.