Why a child begins to bite their nails is a bit of a mystery.   In children, nail-biting is usually a nervous habit that is often a symptom of anxiety or insecurity.  Possible causes of anxiety causing nail biting are stressful periods at home or at school, boredom or occasionally a calcium deficiency can also be the cause of nail biting.  It has been shown that calcium deficiency can play a role in your child’s nail biting problem, so increasing the amount of calcium in their diet can definitely benefit them.  High levels of calcium can be found in leafy greens vegetables, nuts, seeds and dried fruit so increasing these in their diet can help.   

Identifying if your child is developing a nail biting habit at an early stage is important, as just like any other habit; once it becomes established it will be a lot harder to break.   One of the biggest problems is that nail biting is a subconscious habit. The James Holmes Method will help identify the cause and release your child from the stress triggers which cause them to bite their nails, relieving them of their subconscious anxieties.