 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Family Forum / Parenting / Parenting / July 20044yo nail-biting
My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months before he turned 4. I talked to hid ped at his 4-year checkup, and she recommended the nasty-tasting stuff to put on his fingernails. So we tried that, but a) He said that after it dried awhile it tasted like pancake syrup, so it wasn't much of a deterrent, and b) If he happened to rub his fingers in his eyes, it made them sting really badly. (I got a little in my eye once, so I know he's not kidding about that.) So the nasty-tasting stuff is out. I half-heartedly tried bribery, but at 4 he really doesn't have the self-control to stop for that. Any other ideas, or should I just decide that nail-biting isn't that big a deal? Jeanne > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > before he turned 4. I talked to hid ped at his 4-year checkup, and she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jeanne Nail-biting is a big deal. It can make kids sick and if they swallow the bitings, they can lodge in the appendix, eventually requiring an appendectomy. Did you try all the different brands of paint-on stuff? I hear the Sally Hansen version, "nail-biter," works well. I bit my nails as a child and mom put on a brand called StopZit and that cured me. I haven't been able to find stopzit again (my own girls bite their nails), probably because when I used it, it was 1977 and they've since stopped making it. I haven't been able to find the Sally Hansen version either, but that may be because I'm in Alaska. I tried Thum and another generic version, neither of which have worked well. Good luck! Peggy > Nail-biting is a big deal. It can make kids sick and if they swallow the > bitings, they can lodge in the appendix, eventually requiring an > appendectomy. Really? My husband eats his Toe nail clippings... or at least he *did* till I refused to kiss him after he stuck one in his mouth and would not til he brushed his teeth.. lol Now he tosses them like normal people. Tori  SignatureBonnie 3/20/02 Xavier due 10/17/04 > > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > > before he turned 4. > > Nail-biting is a big deal. It can make kids sick and if they swallow the > bitings, they can lodge in the appendix, eventually requiring an > appendectomy. What? Who told you that? I would ignore it. It could make you sick in that you are ingesting more dirt, but kids ingest a lot in other ways anyway. My approach has been to point out that nail biting is not a good thing to do and then drop it. A person needs to stop biting on their own. Personally, I tried like the dickens to stop myself between ages 9-11 or so, but was unable to. Around age 12, I just suddenly lost interest and don't bite anymore. My 4 year old bites her nails, but it goes in spurts -- she'll bite for a couple weeks then stop. I'm not too concerned about it. Jan > > > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > > > before he turned 4. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > What? Who told you that? A woman I know who had that happen to her. ~Peggy > A woman I know who had that happen to her. > ~Peggy This *sounds* like an urban legend, or at least someone who doesn't understand how things work. Sort of like my grandmother claiming she had a dry birth (doesn't exist) Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 > > A woman I know who had that happen to her. > > ~Peggy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Cathy Weeks > Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 Despite the fact that I did not have any amniotic fluid left when DD was born I would not say she was born dry.. lol... My water never broke.. and never leaked. When they rutured it for internal monitoring nothing gushed I wonder if this is what they concider a dry birth? Tori SignatureBonnie 3/20/02 Xavier due 10/17/04 > > A woman I know who had that happen to her. > > ~Peggy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Cathy Weeks > Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 It is NOT an urban legend. She's a personal friend of the family and showed me her appendectomy scar. ~Peggy >> "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message >news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >me her appendectomy scar. >~Peggy So she really had an appendectomy. It doesn't make sense that nail bitings had anything to do with that. Nan -- "when the sun goes down we'll be groovin' when the sun goes down we'll be feelin' alright, when the sun sinks down over the water everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" ~Kenny Chesney > >> "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > >news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" > ~Kenny Chesney I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it was full of nail bitings. Sorry I didn't spell things out in the first post. Peggy >I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it >was full of nail bitings. Sorry I didn't spell things out in the first >post. >Peggy http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_059.html Nan -- "when the sun goes down we'll be groovin' when the sun goes down we'll be feelin' alright, when the sun sinks down over the water everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" ~Kenny Chesney > >I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it > >was full of nail bitings. Sorry I didn't spell things out in the first [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" > ~Kenny Chesney Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd LIE to me about the cause of her appendicitis. Cecil Adams doesn't know her, doesn't know her medical history, and certainly isn't an expert on everything. Peggy How old was she when she had the apendectamy?.. if she was young how much did her parents want her to stopchewing her nails? Tori SignatureBonnie 3/20/02 Xavier due 10/17/04 > > > > >I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > everything. > Peggy > How old was she when she had the apendectamy?.. if she was young how much > did her parents want her to stopchewing her nails? > > Tori She was an adult when she had the appendectomy. ~Peggy >Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd LIE >to me about the cause of her appendicitis. Cecil Adams doesn't know her, >doesn't know her medical history, and certainly isn't an expert on >everything. >Peggy I'm not saying she'd lie. I believe she believes it. I'm not asserting that the author knows her or her medical history. I'd believe that her parents used it as a way to stop her nail biting, though. How old was she when she had the surgery? Did *she* see the nail bitings herself??? Nan -- "when the sun goes down we'll be groovin' when the sun goes down we'll be feelin' alright, when the sun sinks down over the water everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" ~Kenny Chesney >>Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd LIE >>to me about the cause of her appendicitis. Cecil Adams doesn't know her, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Nan http://iusedtobelieve.com/bad_habits/biting_my_nails/biting_my_nails_s1.php To get me to quit the never-ending nail-biting, my mom used to say that the bits of nails I swallowed would give me appendicitis, and then she pointed at the spot in my lower belly where my appendix was supposed to be and described the horrible pains Id suffer. I never quit, but because of that odd prognosis of hers, I pictured my digestive system as a very simple mechanism consisting of 2 metal chutes going from my throat to my lower belly one which would take all food and drink to the left, I guess to the stomach, and the other which would recognize and separate nails only and then send them to the right, straight to the appendix. Bel Seslaf, Brazil -- Dorothy There is no sound, no cry in all the world that can be heard unless someone listens .. The Outer Limits > >Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd LIE > >to me about the cause of her appendicitis. Cecil Adams doesn't know her, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Nan I don't know if/how her parents tried to get her to stop her from biting her nails when she was growing up. She had the appendectomy as an adult. I doubt she saw the bitings herself, but why would a doctor lie to an adult woman about what he found in her appendix? ~Peggy >> >Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd >LIE [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >woman about what he found in her appendix? >~Peggy That doesn't prove that it was the nail bitings that *caused* her appendicitis. Nan -- "when the sun goes down we'll be groovin' when the sun goes down we'll be feelin' alright, when the sun sinks down over the water everything gets hotter when the sun goes down" ~Kenny Chesney > That doesn't prove that it was the nail bitings that *caused* her > appendicitis. > > Nan In any case, getting back to the OP, my point is that nail bitings can get lodged in the appendix. Peggy >>I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it >>was full of nail bitings. Sorry I didn't spell things out in the first [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Nan I prefer to believe Peggy, who knows someone whose appendix actually contained nail clippings, rather than Nan, who knows where to find a web page where someone says, without proof or even argument, that all indigestible items that are swallowed are eliminated from the body. Deciding what to believe is a complex and personal process. Even mathematicians cannot always agree on what constitutes a proof; outside mathematics things are much murkier and we each have to decide for ourselves -- hopefully maintaining respect for those whose opinions differ. -- Cathy > >>I'm telling you...when they cut open the appendix after taking it out, it > >>was full of nail bitings. Sorry I didn't spell things out in the first [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > -- > Cathy <shrug> My mother always said that eating peanuts and swallowed chewing gum caused appendicitis. However, the *only* two people I have ever known that have had their appendices out are my two youngest brothers,and they are twins. Therfore, I think it's a genetic predisposition. > > I prefer to believe Peggy, who knows someone whose > > appendix actually contained nail clippings, rather than [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > their appendices out are my two youngest brothers,and they are twins. > Therfore, I think it's a genetic predisposition. My dad was a general surgeon who removed many appendices over the years. He said that the most common cause of appendicitis was small food items like peanut, corn, or peas that got stuck in the opening and trapped the feces inside, causing infection. He always admonished us kids to chew small foods very carefully because of this. I will never forgot this. I still chew my food very well. SignatureSandie - Don't forget to take the cats out. >>It is NOT an urban legend. She's a personal friend of the family and showed >>me her appendectomy scar. >>~Peggy > > So she really had an appendectomy. It doesn't make sense that nail > bitings had anything to do with that. It does make sense. I've heard of objects lodging in the appendix. Given the shape of the appendix (a sac hanging off the intestine) it makes sense that objects might lodge in it. It also makes sense that objects (especially sharp ones) sitting around in the appendix could promote infection. -- Cathy > > "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > me her appendectomy scar. > ~Peggy Which only proves that she had an appendectomy -- NOT that it was caused by nail biting! SignatureChildren won't care how much you know until they know how much you care > > > "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > > news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Which only proves that she had an appendectomy -- NOT that it was caused > by nail biting! Look, I KNOW this woman. I have absolutely NO reason to believe she'd LIE to me about the cause of her appendicitis. The doctors FOUND nail bitings IN the appendix after they took it out! Peggy > > > > "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > > > news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > IN the appendix after they took it out! > Peggy They may have -- but that doesn't mean they got there from her chewing her nails. In fact, I can't imagine any way they COULD have, since the appendix isn't part of the alimentary canal. However, there are a surprising number of cases of doctors finding "sacs" of human tissue -- nail, bone and hair, usually -- in odd places in people's bodies. The belief is that this is from a "vanishing twin" -- that is, that a twin died in utero -- usually without ever having been diagnosed -- and somehow gets "encapsulated" inside the body of the surviving twin rather than completely decomposing. I know -- this sounds almost as unbelievable as it being from chewing nails, but you can check it out; it is now known that there are significantly more twins conceived than born, and more research being done on exactly what happens to the body of the fetus who does not survive. meh SignatureChildren won't care how much you know until they know how much you care > > > > > "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > > > > news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > done on exactly what happens to the body of the fetus who does not > survive. This sounds more likely to me... but what do I know;) Tori SignatureBonnie 3/20/02 Xavier due 10/17/04 "dragonlady" <mehouck@REMOVEpacbell.net> wrote in > They may have -- but that doesn't mean they got there from her chewing > her nails. In fact, I can't imagine any way they COULD have, since the [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > done on exactly what happens to the body of the fetus who does not > survive. The appendix may not be part of the alimentary canal proper but is connected to the starting point of the large intestine. Isn't it conceivable at all that foreign objects can get lodged in the appendix? I think so. I have heard of the vanishing twin phenomena, but believe me, this is not a case of that. These were fully developed, bitten fingernails found in her appendix. ~Peggy > > "Peggy" <eskimodoll@alaska.com> wrote in message > news:<10fm56pe9tmtp1e@corp.supernews.com>... [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > It is NOT an urban legend. She's a personal friend of the family and showed > me her appendectomy scar. No, the part I thought might be an urban legend was *why* she had appendicitis, not that she had it. Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 "Cathy Weeks" <kathyspam@weeksfamily.net> wrote in message >Sort of like my grandmother claiming she had a dry birth (doesn't exist) My water broke hours before any contractions came and many hours before she was born. While I understand that amniotic fluid is continously made, it was considered a more drier birth than with my others, whose water had to be broke at the time to push. So it's not all hogwash. And it wasn't an easy birth either. The other two were much easier with more fluid. SignatureSue (mom to three girls) > Did you try all the different brands of paint-on stuff? I hear the Sally > Hansen version, "nail-biter," works well. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > either, but that may be because I'm in Alaska. I tried Thum and another > generic version, neither of which have worked well. We got Thum, which is just what the grocery store pharmacy had when I asked for the nail-biting stuff; any idea where to look for other brands that might work better? Regarding some of the other responses: he SAYS that he wants to stop, and he wanted to get his nails painted after I had a manicure for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, so I told him he'd have to stop for a week first so he'd have nails to paint. He readily agreed, but hasn't actually stopped yet. I don't always catch him at it, but when I do, it's usually when he's lying in bed at night, sitting on the couch reading or watching T.V., or some similar, less-active type of situation. (He's a VERY active kid, so he's up and running a lot of the day, and I never see him nail-biting while he's busy with something active.) I've told him that there are a lot of germs under his nails and that it could make him sick, but he doesn't seem to care much about that. I think he probably would like to stop so he can get his nails painted, but he doesn't have the presence of mind to remember that whenever he feels the urge. I bit my nails till I was 20-ish, so maybe it's just hereditary! I was hoping to spare him the effort of trying to quit later - took me YEARS, as I recall - but I suppose there are worse things he could be doing, too. Thanks for all the responses! Jeanne >I've told him that there are a lot of germs under his nails > and that it could make him sick, but he doesn't seem to care much about > that. I think he probably would like to stop so he can get his nails > painted, but he doesn't have the presence of mind to remember that > whenever he feels the urge. Both these things - germs under the nails, and getting to polish her nails - worked on my daughter. She was probably about 4 to 5 yrs old when she was biting them (she's 6 now). She also acquired a nervous tic of a really annoying cough around the same time. Has he been biting his nails for a while, or is this a new thing? I have two girls that were nail bitters. I tried everything, except the awful tasting stuff, but ignoring it and it finally did go away. But one thing I was going to try and couldn't find one was those stress balls to use if they felt the urge to bite nails. My girls usually did their worse biting when they were tired or sitting in front of the TV. Also as my oldest daughter got older, she wanted to have pretty nails with polish and biting them didn't look as pretty. SignatureSue (mom to three girls) > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > before he turned 4. I talked to hid ped at his 4-year checkup, and she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jeanne :> My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months :> before he turned 4. I talked to hid ped at his 4-year checkup, and she [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] :> other ideas, or should I just decide that nail-biting isn't that big a :> deal? I've been biting my nails for 20 years. I am getting married in 2 weeks and along with some other stuff I am doing for the wedding (and just for the wedding), I am not biting my fingernails. I have never been sick because of it. In the beginning I would swallow them but not I don't because it makes my throat itch. My parents tried everything since they noticed(I was 3). I also sucked my thumb til I was 15. Didn't need braces or anything. I think putting things in your mouth is healthier than people make it out to be. I think it builds defenses and stuff. Socially, I can stop biting my fingernails at will depending on the social ocasion. It is very much fun, but non-nailbiters do not understand this. If you let it be and don't nag him like my family always does, maybe he'll lose interest. Like sometimes I am just messing with my nails, not quite biting and I am doing it unconsciously but if my sister or mom or someone points it out it makes me really wanna bite them off. Finally, the appeareance of my nails didn't prevent me from finding a guy, gettting a job, getting into grad school, talking to important people or anything. I think people only look at your nails of they are pretty otherwise they don't notice. There is people in my stepdad family, that I have seen very frequently and have been very surprised when I have said I bite my fingernails. Let him be it will go away or maybe not but if he really wants to bite them nothing will stop him, this includes nail polish and bad smelling/tasting/looking stuff. SignaturePatty Does he want to stop? If he does, maybe you cuold think of a code word tos ay to him when he starts doing it, and then he can know to start doign something else with his hands. I'd also try to figure out what makes him do it. Is he bored, nervous, tired? If it's related to something, you could get rid of the cause and he wouldn't do it anymore. If it's not causing problems, though, you can ignore it and it may just go away on it's own. Cadie > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > before he turned 4. I talked to hid ped at his 4-year checkup, and she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jeanne Jeanne Clelland <Jeanne.Clelland@NOSPAM.colorado.edu> wrote in message news:<Jeanne.Clelland- > So the nasty-tasting stuff is out. I half-heartedly tried bribery, but > at 4 he really doesn't have the self-control to stop for that. Any > other ideas, or should I just decide that nail-biting isn't that big a > deal? > > Jeanne My daughter chewed her nails when she was 4 (maybe it's the age?!), and we were able to get her to stop. We didn't use the bad tasting stuff, but just encouraged her to stop, and gently reminded her that she wanted to stop whenever we saw her doing it. We did use bribery, but I withheld the reward ( a manicure at the salon!) until she hadn't bitten them for a week+, and by then, she didn't go back to biting. Good luck, I know it can be really frustrating! Tina. > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > before he turned 4. Anyone else in the family bite their nails? Allyson bites hers (and has her entire life), and her nephew (whom she sees infrequently) started biting his as soon as he was able to. I think there are a couple other family members who have also been life-long nail-biters. In that circumstance, I don't think there's anything that can be done about it, and I wouldn't worry about it. Phoebe :) -- yahoo address is unread; substitute mailbolt > So the nasty-tasting stuff is out. I half-heartedly tried bribery, but > at 4 he really doesn't have the self-control to stop for that. Any > other ideas, or should I just decide that nail-biting isn't that big a > deal? I doubt it's really a big deal. My husband and stepson are nailbiters, and neither has gotten sick from it. They just look to me to do the chores that require fingernails! :-) I've heard of teachers taking samples from under someone's fingernails, and looking at it under a microscope, and then showing the kids all the germs that are there, and many were so grossed out that they quit biting. However, with the exception of the germs in our colons, we are pretty safe from our own germs. I wouldn't worry about it. Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01 > > So the nasty-tasting stuff is out. I half-heartedly tried bribery, but > > at 4 he really doesn't have the self-control to stop for that. Any [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and neither has gotten sick from it. They just look to me to do the > chores that require fingernails! :-) And they should do all the messy jobs that might get stuff stuck under your nails :-) Debbie > My just-turned-4yo son started biting his fingernails a few months > before he turned 4. Some ideas: Alternative activities -- things to do with the hands: -- give him worry beads -- give him clothes with pockets (with stones or something in them to play with?) -- give him slime/playdough etc. -- keep him busy all day Alternative activities -- things to do with the mouth: -- give him chewing gum -- give him a teething ring or something -- give him chewy foods, e.g. meat sticks -- teach him an alternative activity such as sucking the back of his hand (?) If the cause is anxiety: -- reduce anxiety by addressing outstanding emotional issues e.g. if there was a death in the family, maybe go visit the grave, or whatever. -- reduce anxiety by spending more time at bedtime encouraging him to talk about stuff/anything (this may bring up outstanding issues to be resolved as above) -- reduce anxiety by sticking to routines more -- reduce anxiety by never yelling at him, etc. (see how and why not to yell on my web page http://www.ncf.ca/~an588/par_home.html -- reduce anxiety by increasing calcium and omega-3 consumption If the cause is mineral deficiency: -- use sea salt? -- increase leafy green vegetables etc. in his diet? -- give him a (crushed-up) mineral supplement? -- have his hair tested to see what minerals are deficient? (I don't know whether it's possible for nailbiting to be caused by mineral deficiency, but it seems plausible to me in two ways: mineral deficiency can contribute to anxiety/fidgetiness, and possibly mineral deficiency leads to an urge to bite on things that contain minerals, such as fingernails.) -- Cathy Another idea: Give him a timer. Suggest that if he wants to bite his nails, he set the timer, and bite his nails for, say, 2 minutes, then switch to another activity (e.g. playing with playdough to keep his hands busy). Then after a few days, he can reduce it to 1.5 minutes, etc., down to 5 seconds, then finally stop. I don't know whether this would work. A 4-year-old might need a lot of adult help to work this. It would help to praise him for "self-control" when he stops when the timer goes off. An activity like rocking in a rocking-chair might possibly give him the sort of comfort he's seeking in nail-biting. -- Cathy Check out: The Nail Biting Information Guide http://www.onychophagia.com |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2010 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.