My 4yo has recently started biting her fingernails and we are desperate to help her stop. She does it when she's not thinking about it - watching TV, riding in the car - and she'll stop if we call her attention to it but I haven't had to cut her fingernails in months so I know she's mostly doing it when we're not around to stop her. Help!

Allison - posted on 11/08/2008

Thanks everybody!! I will definitely try the nail stuff, and keep up the constant reminders. She is a very fancy girl, so the promise of polish may do the trick as well. Thanks again!!

Cathy - posted on 11/08/2008

One of my sons (he's almost 7) has compulsive habits. He used to continuously pick scabs on his legs when 3 or 4. Then, moved on to biting his nails. Then, he kept hiking up his pants really high. With the nail issue, I actually called attention to it every time I saw him do it and pulled his hand away (usually while watching TV). It actually worked!

Nicole - posted on 11/08/2008

I went by the fingernail polish and there is stuff there. There is tons of names for it. I have Bitter Bite. It is specifically to stop thumb sucking and nail biting. I found it by the fake nails at Wal-Mart.

Angela - posted on 11/08/2008

don't draw a lot of attention to it. Tell her that it will make her really sick. Good luck

Donna - posted on 11/08/2008

My 5yoDD was picking at her nails, not biting them. But pulling them off till they bled. She likes to paint her nails and be pretty so I told her if I painted them, she would have to stop picking them. The nail polish was her reminder that she shouldn't pick at them. It took a few paintings but she has stopped.

Becky - posted on 11/07/2008

I used HOOF with my son and it worked within 2-3 days. I found it at Walmart.

Jennifer - posted on 11/07/2008

Try a product called HOOF. It stopped my friends's daughter's habit of sucking her middle and index fingers. It's extremely yucky (bitter) tasting, and the taste lingers for awhile (I tried it out of curiosity). Walmart carries it and it's in a small bottle with a pink and white label. Best wishes!

Lori - posted on 11/07/2008

My little boy did the same thing until he told us that he wanted a battery powered 4 wheeler for his birthday. We told him that if he would stop biting his nail, he could have one. He stoppped instantley!!!!! We never had another moment of that. Sometimes if there is something they love or want bad enough, you can reward with that to help stop it. Good luck

Beth - posted on 11/07/2008

Is it sad to say that i still bite my nails and im 27..but its more of a nervous habit for me.perhaps making them pretty with polish would keep her from doing it...Good luck!

Ann - posted on 11/07/2008

I think they actually make this stuff for nail biting. I used it years ago to get myself to stop chewing on my own nails...I got it in the nail polish section. Have you tried just painting her nails? Does that help? I know if mine are painted I tend to not bite them.

Shelly - posted on 11/07/2008

My son used to bite his nails too! There is stuff I believe it is called "thumbs". It is like a clear polish that you brush onto the nails. It is made up of safe ingredients and I think is more commonly used to stop thumbsucking. Anyhow, I would try brushing this on her nails..it has a bitter taste to it. I found it a my local pharmacy.