How do you get a 2 year old to stop biting her nails?

I'm at the end of my rope with this kid and her oral fixation!!!

She's been sucking on the first 2 fingers of her left hand since she was in utero. She uses her left hand for NOTHING because it's always in her mouth. The fingers are perpetually shrivelled, and they are starting to curve up because of the constant suction.

About a month ago, the nail biting started. When the fingers aren't in her mouth, she's biting her nails! Now it's down to the quick, and some of them are bleeding. She just keeps gnawing at them.

When I see her biting her nails I don't usually say anything, I just take her fingers out of her mouth, because I don't want to draw too much attention to it. DH wants to get that stuff at the drug store that makes your nails taste bad to make her stop.

What can I do??? Anyone with any experience? She's SO YOUNG to be doing this! I always thought nail biting is more of an older kid thing.

Re: How do you get a 2 year old to stop biting her nails?

I don't have personal experience with this (but I do have a 2 year old).

I know you said she's been sucking on her fingers since she was in utero but do you think that maybe at some point this, and especially now the nail biting, are a result of anxiety? She could have continued the sucking to calm her anxiety and the nail biting, well, people tend to do that when anxious also.

You've tried not drawing attention to it to not avail so maybe try drawing attention to it. Make her aware of what she is doing. She may not even realize she's doing it. Also, keep track of what is happening/going on around her when the behavior occurs. It may not be immediately obvious but somthing may be triggering the behavior.

I would try the above before putting something on it that just makes the behavior (the nail biting) aversive. The bleeding and rawness must already be uncomfortable and it's not enough to get her to stop.

Re: How do you get a 2 year old to stop biting her nails?

MY ds who started doing this at 2 is still doing it and he will 3 in Feb. No matter what I do I cannot get him to stop. So no advice here just know the feeling.

Re: How do you get a 2 year old to stop biting her nails?

Sorry so long...

I don't have a 2 year old daughter but I once was a 2 year old who bit her nails. I bit them up until my early twenties. My mom was constantly on me to stop. She tried everything. Pointing it out, ignoring it, the nasty nail polish...

As I got older (maybe 10?) she would take me to get the acrylic tips and I would bite them off to get to my real nail underneath. I remember as a kid hiding and just going to town biting when I knew I had a few minutes away from her.

Why did I do it? Who knows? Just a habit I suppose. My dad does it so maybe it's hereditary.

How did I stop? I got hypnotized. I tried everything as a young adult and the tips worked for a while but if one came loose/off I'd bite my real nail. I finally got fed up with having to hide my hands, found a hypnotist and was cured in one session. It took a big effort on my part but it did work. And to this day I have lovely natural nails.

As I got into school, I remember feeling really ashamed of my hands and I would hide them all the time. I noticed to this day I still sit with my nails curled under. When my mom would yell it didn't really help, it just made me feel worse.

So I'm not sure I have any advice. But maybe you could look at it as an improvement to the sucking. At least her hands are out of her mouth most of the time.

For me (and my mom) it was something I had to deal with on my own in my own time. Maybe you could try getting your daughter hypnotised if you think she's ready for it. Or if it's really interfering with her health.

Best of luck.