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.
