Q: My daughter is four years old and goes to school. She has developed a habit of biting nails. I get complaints from her class teacher that she eats erasers, pencils and chalks. I am a working mother. What steps should I take to kill this habit?

A:There are several possible reasons for your child's behaviour.

1. She may have worms, so first give her some deworming medicine, on the advice of a doctor on dosage, etc.
2. She may be deficient in calcium. This may be taken care of by giving calcium tablets and making sure she has milk products in her diet.
3. She may be anxious, because the school is new or the children unfriendly or the school work is difficult.