Your Kid May Now Use Coping Mechanisms While Under Stress

At this stage your child may bite his nails out of curiosity, to relieve stress, or simply because it is become a habit. Your child may also bite his nails because he has seen someone else doing it. 

What you need to know:

Nail biting is the most common of the so-called nervous habits, which includes thumb sucking, and teeth tugging. It could be your child’s way of handling things when he feels under pressure such as a class test, stage performance etc. Your kid is now 5 and half years old and will have habits like these. 

At this point, you can resort to a variety of creative techniques, including painting your child’s nails with a special gross-tasting polish, etc. Keep your kid’s nails trimmed. Remember any habit is hard to kick. So, treat your child gently, and don’t make him feel bad about nail-biting. Give your child other things to do when he feels the urge to bite. For example, you could give him a squeezy ball to hold while he is watching television. Each child is different, so try a wide range of techniques with your child but make sure that he is a willing partner.