Can't Cut Finger and Toe Nails

A., I do not know if this will work, but it does for my son who is 3 1/2. I clip the nail almost to the end, then he pulls it off. He puts the clippings into a pile and when we are finished, he thows them away. This lets him participate in the process and he sits still. Good Luck! -S.

My daughter is 2 as well and also has the same issue (and I've never clipped her accidentally either). I have given in to cutting them at night while she is sleeping, no fight and clipped nails... works for me :)

I have two children (ages 3 1/2 and 2) and find that it is the easiest to trim their finger and toenails while they are sleeping.

Hi,

My son is three now and we ALWAYS had trouble with toenail/fingernail cutting. Two is a tough time for them. They like to assert independence and feel like they have control over something (especially their own bodies). If the distraction thing doesn't work, I agree with some of the other moms and recommend doing it when she's asleep. That's what we did with our son. Just every now and then try it after bath time, so you can guage how resistant she is.

How lucky you are to be at home all day with Lily. Since you have time with her, try this, it worked for a friend of mine. Make it "Girly day". She would do her own nails (fingers and toes), cut and polish during her daugher's nap and then when she say how pretty mommy's nails were she wanted them too. Then she would let her manicure her nails. At first it was a quick file then polish. Then next time mom cut her own nails in front of daughter and let daugher "help sqeeze". After that her daughter let her cut her nails because that has to happen before the polish goes on. She even jazzed it up by finding tiny stickers and put those on under clear polish. Now her almost 3 year old comes to her wanting "Girly Day", which included nail cutting. Fingers and toes. Hope this can work for you too.

I read somewhere that if you can do it when the child is sleeping, it's really easy.

This doesn't work with everyone, but who knows? It doesn't hurt to try. When my daughter became afraid of the nail clippers, I told her to pretend it was a cute little animal who eats nail clippings, and that since she didn't need them, why don't we feed them to the "cute" clippers? I even added sound effects (chomping, "mmmmm, that's good"). I think it worked because she thought I was being funny. So if you somehow made clipping her nails a funny experience, maybe she'll be a little more apt to sit still long enough.

Good luck!

I had this same issue with my daughter, at about the same age. I bribed her with painting her nails. I bought some kid-friendly polish so she can even do it herself, with my supervision. One word of caution about the nail polish: despite the fact that the packages said "non-toxic", it was clear when I opened the containers and smelled them that some of them were just "grown-up" polish in a miniature bottle. I chose a polish that smelled like Elmer's glue -- I suspect that's pretty much what it is -- and it has worked really well. I started the whole process with Lilly by telling her that I needed to clip her nails before we could paint them. It worked! Evidently, her desire to have painted nails was stronger than her reluctance to have them cut.

Good luck!

Hi
You could try having your child sit on your lap and watch you cut your nails so she can see it doesn't hurt. Then touch the nail clippers to the end of her finger or toe but don't cut yet. Do this every day for about a week and she might let you try cutting one. Go slow and only cut one or two at a time. When she's ready she'll let you do them all at the same sitting.

If she'll let you, you could try to file them. That way you'll get her nails done and maybe it'll ease her eventually so you'll be able to cut the nails at a later date. You may have to do her nails more often this way, but you can also let her try it herself which might make her feel more secure.

Try doing it while she's asleep. I did that with one of mine for years. Now he's on to me, but it was a good method for a while.

use an emory board, and let her do it. Or, clip them at night after she falls asleep.

The asleep ideas are good ones. Wish I had tried that myself. I fought for 2 years and finally now at 4 1/2 I can discuss it with my son and he agrees that it is better to not fight because it is easier. So he grew out of it.

Have you tried trimming them when she is asleep? This is easier if she is a heavy sleeper, but can be done carefully even if she is a light sleeper. Usually these fears are short lived. Also, make a point of clipping your nails in front of her (have your husband do this as well) so that she can see that there is nothing scary about it. Hope this helps

Does she sleep hard? I'd do it in her sleep if I could. That's what we did when DS was really little. At her age DS was chewing both his fingernails and toenails (I know - ew!!!) so we battled with that for a year or so...but at least I didn't have to fight to cut them ;)

Best of luck!

Hi A.
Have you tried doing them while she is a sleep. That is what my daughter does with her little one
M.

the best thing i can tell ya is to do it while she sleep untill she can understand that it dont hurt thats what i did with my son

Try waiting till she takes her nap or even bedtime and then cut and file her nails when she is sleeping and won't be moving around. I do that with my daughter and it works, and I can get it done quickly.

Changing her mind might not be possible. This is a phase that my kids went through as well. My daughgter just turned three and she's starting to come out of it. I tried showing them that cutting nails didn't hurt by cutting my own nails in front of them. That worked sometimes.

hi there,

same problem with both of my children. i still clip my 2 1/2 year olds nails when she is sleeping. my now 5 year old started to comply at about 4! good luck! :)

Hi A.,
I always cut my 3 yr old daughters finger & toe nails when she is sleeping. That's the only way I can get near her. She has no idea that I am doing it and it gets the job done. I wait till she is in a deep, deep sleep though and be very gentle in touching her especially if she is a light sleeper. It works everytime...

You should have no problem with doing it this way.

Good Luck!!

S.

I have two daughters and we had a similar problem. I now play "nail Salon" with them. I paint their nails and pretend like I don't know their names and ask them silly questions. Then I clip them. I have tried it both ways. Now we are at a point where we don't even have to do the paint thing. You can always get kid friendly polish that comes off in the tub. Good luck.

I always do it when he's sleeping and when I'm breasfeeding

Since my kids were infants I would always clip their nails when they were asleep - as they got older and watched me cut my own they wanted to do it themselves - so I would show them how and then watch them to make sure they didn't hurt themselves - it eventually moved to the point where I had to remind them to cut their nails - Try cutting them when she is asleep - even if you can only do a few at a time you can eventually get to them all - She is at the age where she is going to want to do for herself so let her try - don't use food as a reward it can turn into a monster latter as they get older - try "I clip one, you clip one" game - if she refuses than do it when she is asleep - and try it again the next time - she will come around

My son hated having his nails cut right from the start. I used to wait until he fell asleep and cut them then. A friend of mine used to file her daughters nails instead of cutting them. You can get a soft spongey file at most dug stores (cvs, walgreens, etc) in the beauty aisle or at a beauty supply (like Sallys), and hey what girl can pass on a manicure! Hope this helps!

My daughter has always protested as well so I have resorted to cutting her nails when she is alseep. I wish you the best of luck!

My sister clips her childrens toe and finger nails while they sleep. She thinks she does a better job and they have not woken up yet from it (just remember to give baths that night and out the kids in footless PJ's).

i have had this problem with my 2 yr old also. what i do now is i keep a set of nail clippers in my car. when we go out and the car ride has made her pass out,i pull over and clip away!!!!! she has no clue that i do it---its great :)

My husband and I deal with the same problem. Sometimes we have to give "manicures". We lay out all the tools--clippers, emery board, and buffing board. We treat them as customers and act like the manicurist--"How are you, ma'am? Where do you work? Are you married? Kids?" The girls usually giggle so much they don't even notice what we are doing until we tell them it's over and "that will be 2 hugs and 5 kisses, please". They love to pay and "get change" back. I even bought nail polish from the health food store (pthalate free nail polish) and even let my oldest pick out a color. From time to time they even remind us when they need their nails cut.

Do it when she is sleeping. Sometimes if they are sleeping in the car in the carseat is even better. I always carry little ones clippers in my purse.

My daughter is 2 1/2 and used to not let me cut them either. I tried cutting them after dinner while she was in the highchair, I would wheel her into the living room and do it while she was watching TV, that didn't work...then I tried it while she was drinking her bottle before bed, that didn't work... I tried it even when she was sleeping.. that sometimes worked, she was twiching too much... but in the end I just kept trying it and trying it and one day literally... she let me. She watches me every step, but we count as we do it. I do it once a week both hands and feet after bath on Sunday nights.
Good Luck and keep trying... it will happen!
T. :0)

I have a 1 year old boy, i actually cut his nails after he falls asleep for a nap or bedtime.

I do it after my lil one has had a bath and I'm lathering him up with some lotion. I also do it first thing in the morning when he wakes up because he's still half asleep and half awake! Good luck! :)

I used to have the same problem with my daughter! She grew out of it... thank god. I used to just wait until she was taking a nap... then I clipped away!

Try to do it while she's asleep or put on her favorite DVD to destract her. Don't tell her your going to do it. Just do it.

I also had the same problem, I would wait until she takes a nap. If she is not a sound sleeper at nap time wait until she goes down for the night. You will be able to cut all fingers and toes with no struggle! Good Luck

When I see its time to cut my daughter's nails (she is 3 1/2 now, but I started this about a year ago), I make a big, exciting deal of it and we pretend to do "pretty nails".... I pretend to have a nail salon, and part of doing pretty nails is trimming nails, then we file, she picks out a nail polish, and I polish away! She has even said "Can we do my toes too?" She loves having her nails painted, and I accomplish the trimming part.
Good Luck!

My daughter is almost three & she puts up a stink when we cut her nails too. I usually tell her that it's time to cut her nails & explain that we have to have clean healthy nails, so that we dont have germs and get sick. Then we sit in the rocking chair & sing songs while I cut them. Or we will count her fingers & make sure that we clipped all the nails. The distraction usually calmns her down. I would stay away from rewards for cooperating, becasue she has to learn that this is a normal part of you looking out for her & taking care of her.

It's not always so smooth. last night I ended up resorting to cutting her nails while she watched TV. She can turn into such a zomblie in front of the TV that I doubt she even noticed.

Good Luck,
B. - a mother to a fabulous three year old girl, I work full time & am married.

Hi A.,

Try to make toe nail cutting an exciting thing for your daughter by "rewarding" her with something that only "big" girls have (make sure you point that out to her), for example putting on nail polish on the toe nails after you have cut her nails. You can choose a nail polish that doesn't stand out too much (light color, but perhaps some glitter in it which usually is something that girls that age love). Or let her make a piece of "jewelry" out of string and beads that she can put around her ancle after she cut the toe nails. Good luck!

We used to have a real screaming and wrestling match over nail clipping--especially over toenails. I found that starting with lotion after a bath relaxed him so that he was less resistant. We also let him hold a closed pair of nail clippers or some other "exotic" toy in his free hand while we did his nails and we sang his favorite songs together as we clipped. Sometimes, we'd even practice counting, which he really likes. The songs, counting, and the clippers seemed to keep him distracted enough in the beginning that now it's actually a fun ritual for us...something I never would have imagined six months ago. Blessings and warm wishes to you.

Hi A.,

I cut my 17 month olds when she is strapped in to her high chair. I give her a cracker for one hand while I cut the other then switch it. She doesn't usually even notice me trimming her toes. She also hates her nails cut and this is the only way I can trim her fingers and toes without her fighting and it works for me.