# ds WON'T let me trim his nails- any advice?



## mamascarlett (Apr 5, 2006)

This may seem petty, but has become a source of dread & trauma at our house... My 14 month old throws a complete fit whenever I attempt to trim his nails. Whipping his body around, screaming bloody murder.... It is so stressful & traumatic for everyone involved. Obviously it must be done, or he ends up scratching himself & me as they get long. I've tried having dh distract him while I trim, to no avail. ANY advice very appreciated!!!


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## faithnj (Dec 19, 2004)

Do it while he is sleeping. Wait till he's sleeping deeply, if you have to.

Faith


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## fanniefarkle (Oct 20, 2005)

I also trim ds's nails while he is asleep. I trim his toe nails while he is in his highchair (he thinks it is funny that I'm in the floor and he's up higher).


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## momtoTnT (Dec 15, 2004)

My ds went through a phase like this as well. What we did was give him the clippers (closed) and asked him to trim our nails. He pretended to trim ours, then let us have a turn trimming his. It usually worked - unless he decided to trim his own nails in addition to ours - then when he was "done" he wouldn't let us do it since it was done already....


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## mamascarlett (Apr 5, 2006)

thanks, but he wakes up if I'm in the same room w/ him; there's no way I'd be able to cut his nails! Though it did work when he was a newborn.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

I can only do it when my dd is sleeping.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

my ds is the same. or at least he was the same. he has probably only had his toenails trimmed 6 or 7 times in his 2 year life







(yep they get reallllly long) he FREAKS out.

for a while i was having my husband hold him down but even then he wiggled so much it was hard.

THEN he took interest in watching dh trim his fingernails. and because of that he will let dh do his fingernails. the toes are still a battle. i think he's just so ticklish.

now that he is older i try to talk him into letting me but i can usually only get one toe per day. it will be embarassing once he's wearing sandals. hopefully he'll be better this summer because he will turn 2. it has to get better right?


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## faithnj (Dec 19, 2004)

Wow, Mama....you've got a tough one. So then just trim one a day. Or try and use an emory board. That way you won't risk hurting the baby while he fights.

Also, when my DD started to fight diaper changes, I taught her to "stay." I know a lot of parents here are against "training" their children to do anything, because "training" is for dogs, in their opinions. But for me? I'd say it was the best little bit of training I ever did-- because diaper changes happen several times a day, and I just can't see allowing it to be a cause for disention everyday, when it can be an opportunity for fun and learning. Personally, I'm much happier singing and dancing with my DD than fighting and chasing, so to each her own. Since keeping nails trimmed is a bit of a safety issue-- consider teaching your DS to accept it. It won't be easy, and it will take probably 3 days at least before he learns to cooperate. But if you create an educational game and a song to go along with it, (and if you are prepared to put up with the crying until he gets used to it,) then you might find you've found a way to go from tears to happiness at clipping time. You might also find that you've paved the way for changing other dificult situations in the future, with your DS. But only do this if it feels "right" to you. No sense in doing something halfway, or with ambivalence. If you don't feel right about this choice, that would only confuse your DS, and make him fight even more.

Faith


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## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

My son went through a short phase like this...and honestly, I would pin him down. He used to scratch me *A LOT* (not on purpose), especially with his toe nails while we were sleeping. I didn't like pinning him down, but it had to be done. He would be so upset afterward (me to!!) that we would sit and cuddle to reconnect...and I'd appologize and explain to him why his nails needed trimming. He still doesn't like having it done, but he cooperates now.


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## fremontmama (Jun 11, 2004)

I have only cut dd's nails while she is asleep. It's just waaaayyy easier that way, no wiggling, no trying to pull hands or feet away and they all get done pretty quickly. I usually do it when she has already gone to sleep and I am in bed next to her reading. After she has settled into a deeper slumber, I pull the clippers off my nightstand and trim away.


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## sessy (May 24, 2005)

Am I the only biter? My dd doesn't let me clip her nails either, so i bite them off after she's nursed to sleep and she's still in my arms. is that gross? She will let others do it though, grandpa clipped her nails last weekend, no problem. Go figure?


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## Sprucen (Oct 15, 2005)

I could have written that op! Ds hates having his nails trimmed. We do ok with the toes, I do those as needed, thankfully they don't grow as fast, on the changing table in the morning after he's changed and between putting on articles of clothing. He's gotten quite ok with it. The fingers on the other hand are bloody murder... I basically have to hold him in a bear hug to do it. Forget doing it while he's sleeping, that only worked while he was very little, he wakes up immediately once I'm in the room with him. What has helped is having him see me trim his new brother's nails and dad trimming his own. It makes it more fascinating and not quite as painful. I would also never let him win, that is, I wouldn't let him go until we were done with all his fingers, somewhere in there, he has to realize that fighting doesn't help and he has to give in, right? (Yes, I'm the delusional one thinking there's reason in a toddler







) I think we're finally getting to the end of this phase. On to the next one!

Good Luck!


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## SamuraiEarthMama (Dec 3, 2002)

dh does the dirty work while i nurse and contain other limbs. it's not fun but it's gotta be done.

i bite 'em off sometimes too.


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## Britishmum (Dec 25, 2001)

When I read about anyone managing to do somethign to their sleeping babe without waking them I have to





















thinking about mine!! No chance!

My kids have all been happy to have me trim their nails when sitting up in the front of the car with me (parked of course) before driving home. There is enough going on outside to distract them, and enough buttons inside the car to push, so they don't notice what I'm doing. It can take a bit of time, being sneaky doing one nail at a time, but it works for us.


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## Nora'sMommy (Mar 19, 2006)

Yeah, dh and I used to have to tag team our dd and she'd just cry for the 2 minutes it would take then it'd be over.

Then one day dd saw dh trimming his toe nails and he let her try and from then on she's totally ok with us trimming her nails. (Especially if I turn the tv on while i do it.....but then there's a whole other issue with turning the tv off!)


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## green betty (Jun 13, 2004)

Chocolate.







:

Seriously; I tried everything. Ds won't sleep through it. He's difficult to distract. A combination of trimming my nails first, being extra gentle and lovey, and then popping a tiny piece of chocolate right in his mouth before I do it does the trick for us. I used to do just a couple fingers a day, too, but now he's pretty relaxed about it (his attitude is pretty much, "yay! chocolate!") so I can get all ten in one fell swoop. It's about the only time he gets sugar. I hate to use food this way but I decided it was preferable to forcing him. and it really is a minimal amount.


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## karlin (Apr 8, 2004)

DS has gone through many stages. For awhile, he let DH cut them with no problem, but now he won't let anyone near them. I can make a game of it and bite them off once in awhile. I always bit them off when he was a baby because I was so afriad I'd cut him.


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## jomo (May 9, 2006)

I was terrified in the beginning to cut ds fingernails. Now at 22 months we have got a system going that seems to work okay: We do it when he is already in bed. He has the "scissor" clippers and does his nails and the sheets and his pyjamas while I do his finger and toenails with the real clippers.

Sometimes it gets difficult, but then I give him his juice and do the one hand be that isn't holding the cup. (I start with his toenails!)

Hope this helps?


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## ladybugchild77 (Jun 18, 2004)

You have gotten great suggestions. The only one I can add is have you tried having dh hold your dc upside down? Kiera used to HATE her nails being cut. Dh held her upside down (which she loves) and stood in front of the mirror. She was so busy cooing at herself and her dad in the mirror that I was able to get them all done in one fell swoop. HTH and good luck!

P.S. - Another biter here...I used to do it too!


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## kamesennin (Jan 3, 2005)

I can only cut them while dd is asleep--a few hours into sleep she is so out nothing could wake her. It is worth staying up late to cut them! Please post and let us know what worked for you!


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## mountainsun (Jan 11, 2005)

I used to cut ds's nails while he was in the bathtub taking a bath


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## emmalala (Dec 3, 2001)

I have 3 light sleepers under 7 and none of them like having their nails cut. I can't cut them if they are wriggling either, I am so petrified of hurting them and hate restraining them anyhow. So we have to find ways to cooperate

told them their toenails were too sharp and they would have to sleep in their own beds or let me cut them

played This Little Piggy with their fingers and toes as the nails are cut

Since they feel funny afterwards, I cut them at bedtime and they feel OK in the morning

give them something compelling to watch or listen to, like Dad doing silly things or reading a story, or perhaps TV

cut my own nails first

Good luck! Their dislike will come and go. I have just stuck with it and insisted and they accept that it has to be done. Also, once you get started they sometimes get interested in the process.


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## kennedy444 (Aug 2, 2002)

I'm a biter too. It is so much easier and I never worry about cutting the skin. The emory board is a good suggestion too.


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## BellinghamCrunchie (Sep 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sessy*
Am I the only biter? My dd doesn't let me clip her nails either, so i bite them off after she's nursed to sleep and she's still in my arms. is that gross? She will let others do it though, grandpa clipped her nails last weekend, no problem. Go figure?

I bite them off, too, but only if its a last resort because it leaves sharp little edges that I can't get. I try the clippers first and am happy if I can get one finger a day with the clippers.


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## provocativa (Jan 17, 2005)

I used to bite and trim. Now, she bites her nails and toenails, which apparently I did as a toddler as well. Rather gross, but probably the common practice for millenia, I imagine.


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## babyyodama (Sep 7, 2005)

M&Ms. She can eat them as long as she is cooperative and I am getting nails cut. Wriggling away or the completion of the job and the little cup of M&Ms gets tucked away until the next attempt. Now I can usually do it without, though she always asks if she can have some M'n'Mies when she sees the clippers come out.


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## mamabear&babybear (Dec 20, 2004)

I'm a biter too. My dd won't sit still either. Here is what has worked for me. We have digital camera, so all our pictures are on our hard drive. So I go into my pictures and put them on a slide show where they flip through without having to do anything. DD will sit there and watch pictures of herself all day if I let her, and it's the only way I get her nails done.


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## 5thFromHeaven (May 2, 2006)

Have you tried cutting them gently when they are napping/sleeping?


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## dolphin_diva27 (May 1, 2006)

I would have to agree with the other mamas here. I would try to do it while he is deep sleeping so he wouldn't even notice. good luck to you.


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## apple_dumpling (Oct 20, 2004)

My dd wakes up if I try to cut them while she's asleep, so that doesn't work with her.

What I have to do is put in a video (usually dora







: ) and just do it really fast while she is sitting in front of the television. We only do it every two to three weeks, and they get pretty long inbetween, but it's such a hassle.

It usually takes me the length of the video to trim them... I get one nail at a time before she snatches her hand away... then slowly as she is enticed by Dora again, I can sneak another nail off


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## ORxPlant (Mar 18, 2006)

Around that age it was easiest to do it while DS was sleeping in his car seat ... especially when DH was driving and we were still in motion. The daylight made it easy to see. Like the PPs said, wait until he's in a sound sleep. He may not wake so easily if he's not in bed.

Now that DS is 2 yo he will sit in my lap while I do it.


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## ZanZansMommy (Nov 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *faithnj*
Do it while he is sleeping. Wait till he's sleeping deeply, if you have to.

Exactly!


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## Laleesbob (May 25, 2005)

I laugh about the when they're sleeping thing too, the kind of sleeper my dd is, I can't bare the thought of interrupting that precious quiet time! dd doesn't mind having her fingernails trimmed but toes are a whole other issue. She hates having her toes touched, never mind the nails trimmed. A few other mamas alluded to this - I just have to hold her down, it must be done. I'd hate for something like a bad tear or cut or infection b/c I didn't cut them b/c it upset her. It's a phase and eventually she'll realize it's part of hygeine...I second the notion of tv if it works for your, or snacks...but it basically turns out in our house that I have to let her get upset for about 3 minutes once a month.


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## Raynbow (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *faithnj*
Do it while he is sleeping. Wait till he's sleeping deeply, if you have to.

Faith

That was my thing - I did it while he slept for the longest time. He now lets me while awake, but not until he was almost three.


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