Help Cutting Daughter's Nails

After they take a bath, their nails are softer making it easier and faster to clip them. Good luck!

Every child is different but what worked best for me with my 2 boys is to have them sit on my lap (with their back toward my chest) and I held their hand gently and clipped the nails as if I were clipping my own nails. It seemed to be less scary than coming at them from the front with the clippers. I also found that the more tightly you grip their fingers, the more they panic and struggle. Best wishes! :)

My youngest (16 mo.) also hates getting her nails cut. She is a little young (ulike my 3 year old) to care about getting her nails painted afterward. Afterall, that just means she has to sit longer! Not a good thing at 16 mos.! I also have tried EVERYTHING, seriously, even cutting them one at a time throughout the day! Now I just sit with her folded up in my legs, and go at it as quickly as possible. I just have to hold her hand tightly and we're done in about a minute. Granted, she cries and wiggles, but once it' done she's happy!

Can't wait 'til the promise of "sit still and we'll paint your nails when mommy's done" actually works!

Good luck...

have you tried just biting them off while she is asleep in your arms. I started biting my little boys nails off while he was nursing and now he does not resist... maybe she will not mind your mouth as much as she dislikes the nail clippers. Their nails are very soft so just be careful, but they tear very easily so just bite the tip of the side and peel the tip off. I have never had any problems with that...

make it a team effort............ have your husband or another individual hold her on their lap and hold her arms while you cut the nails

we have had to do this several times for our boys .... it will really go so much faster that way

I did what some of the mommies suggessted, the promise of painting her nails when your done. My girls actually sat still for painting at 12 months old! Get a couple of the speedy dry nail polish and let her pick the color, my girls loved their manicure and pedicure and are proud to show them off and are eager to get clipped:) Good luck!

Explain to her what your doing and show her the "before and after" nails.

I agree with everyone who has said hold her in your lap, that helped with my son who went through the same thing. It also helped to put him in his high chair and turn on a movie to distract him. Has she ever seen you clip your nails? That might help. Good luck, it will get better.

I just held my daughters' hands tightly with just a little of the fingers protuding to keep them (the fingers) from wriggling.

Good luck.

Let her watch you cut your nails and let her watch you cut your husbands nails for a few days (skip some nails or don't cut them too short so you have nails left so you can keep cutting them) and maybe she will want that attention on herself. Everytime my husband or I cut our nails, my little one wants it done too. Myabe even give your husband one m&m or goldfish cracker after every nail you cut. She see soon enough that your aren't trying to torment her by cutting her body parts off =)

My 23 month old won't let me touch his nails, but he will sit on his dad's lap watching sports on TV and let dad clip his nails. I've tried the same exact thing, and all he does is wiggle and cry. Maybe have someone else try clipping her nails while you entertain her?

My three year old boy will only let me clip his nails once in a while (and never lets me do his thumbs) but only if I let him wear my 3 rings while we do the clipping and for a few minutes after.

My now 4yo ds would have scream like he was being killed until 2. I'd have to practically sit on him to do it. Now I bribe my 2 boys with candy. They get a Skittle or something similar for each/foot that we finish. I try to have on a tv show they like and have them sit on my lap for their fingers and then they lay on the floor and give me their feet.

Do you have a high chair for her? I once read in a magazine that it is sometimes easier to do it when your child is in their high chair. I would put some favorite toys on the tray and then start with her toes and talk to her while you do it. If that's a success try her free hand. Well I hope this is good advice. Good luck.

My daughter was that way until she was 3. We joked that she would have screamed less if her arm had been chopped off. She did worse when sitting in our lap. She was better if we let her sit on the bathroom counter and make faces in the mirror or let her watch a favorite tv show while I trimmed.

I put my 19 month old in front of an Elmo video. She is mesmerized. Elmo is magic in our house! I understand the "drive me nuts, but wouldn't have it any other way" comment. I am rigth there with you! Blessings, S.

My daughter didn't like her nails cut either, but she would sit on my lap and let me file them with a soft nail file. Worked great!

Good luck!

Do this while watching a video and just explain to her what you are doing and make it as positive as possible. D. J.

I give my daughter a nail file and after I cut each nail I let her file them, we also have a "you let me cut your nails and they will get painted" rule. So I will only paint them after she lets me cut them. Then it is like a special treat and she gets to pick the color. Good Luck hope that helped.