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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Fingernail Bitting at age 17 mths
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Mar 10, 2003 12:00AM
, Mar 10, 2003 12:00AM
Children of this age are very much focused on their mouths, so it's not unusual for children to have their fingers in their mouths. Now, biting nails at this age is often a tension-reducing behavior. Discuss this with your son's pediatrician, who knows his disposition and can consider this aspect of tension reduction. If there are circumstances that are contributing to tension, try to address those. Also try to have things available for your son to play with, so that he is occupied. Children will often go to their mouths when there is nothing available to them. There is a preparation available to apply to thumbs, fingers to discourage such biting, but talk with your doctor before deciding to employ it.
I asked his doctor about it and her response was "isnt it funny how we all have certain bad and yet we try to stop those of our children".
She said we should not be concerned unless we know that there is some sort of new stress in his life.