Why does my two year old bite his nails?

Anxiety?: Nail bitting at any age is typically associated with anxiety. Try to pay attention as to when does he/she bites her nails to see if you can identify specific triggers of anxiety.

Habit?: Sometimes kids do this out of boredom. If you pay attention to when it is happening, it is usually in the car, watching tv or times when nothing much is happening. I suggest trying to give them a manipulative toy when their hands arent busy and see if that helps.

Benign behavior: Most kids have some sort of repeated behavior that is usually for security, like thumb sucking, twirling hair, touching mother's earrings, etc. The nail biting may be a mimicked behavior or the start of a habit. Ignore it & don't fight this battle. Just let the child know to wash hands to keep the germs away from his mouth. Encourage him to do something else with his hands like playing with a ball