Biting
nails, cracking knuckles, shaking legs and sucking thumbs are some of the
common bad habits that kids exhibit. For some, this is fidgety while for others
it is a way of hiding anxiousness. Nail biting can drive the parents crazy
because looking at a child who continuously bites their nails is uncomfortable
and not hygienic.
Go
through the following strategies to make your child get rid of this habit:
1.
Cut their nails: Infections happen
because of lack of hygiene and if your child bites their nails, make sure that
you trim them regularly, clean their cuticles and ask your child to wash their
hands frequently so that the chances of getting an infection are minimized.
2.
Find substitutes: Whenever you see your
child biting nails, hand over a carrot or celery stick to your child for a
substitute.
3.
Divert attention: Nail biting happens as a
habit. So give a small, safe object to your child which can be kept in their
pocket. The texture of the object and hands-on feel for something new can shift
their focus.
4.
Get the manicure done: Though boys might be
reluctant, girls may love it and once they get compliments for their well-done
nails, the chances are high that nail-biting will stop automatically.
5.
Give rewards: Every child needs some
enticing motivation to get rid of a habit. So why don’t you reward your child
when he/she doesn’t bite their nails?
Nothing
is better than self-realization and at Childventures Early Learning Academy, we try to understand the
psychology of the child and then formulate a strategy which works well and
delivers results.
To learn about our early learning education programs and curriculum models, visit www.childventures.ca.
