The Story Behind Yummy Nails

Posted on January 23, 2025 

When I realized that I hadn’t clipped my 3-year-old daughter Caitlin’s nails in a long time, I couldn’t even remember the last time I did it. It must have been months ago. And that situation lasted much longer than I had anticipated—I didn’t clip her nails for over a year.

During that time, she was constantly biting her nails whenever she had the chance. I tried multiple strategies to stop this habit. I would yell, “Hand!” whenever I caught her biting her nails. I told her that princesses never bite their nails. I even promised to paint her nails if she stopped biting them. I bought a special bitter-tasting nail polish, but I never opened the package after hearing that it was so awful that kids would throw up if they used their hands to eat.

Of course, I looked for a book. I wanted a fun story that would teach kids how dirty their nails are and how nail-biting could give them stomachaches. But I couldn’t find anything that fit that description.

So, why not write one myself?

At first, the idea was just a joke. But slowly, it grew—bigger and stronger. A few months later, I had written my first book. I built my website. I created Comma Books. Now, I’m working on six more children’s books. And I am happier than ever.

Has Yummy Nails helped my daughter quit her nail-biting habit? Ironically, she stopped on her own while I was working on the book—before I even had a chance to read it to her or tell her about the idea. I almost laughed at myself when that happened.

Nevertheless, I don’t regret the time and money I spent on my first book. It won’t just help some kids with their nail-biting—it will also be the start of something great.