I Can No Longer Trim My 18 Mo. Old's Nails!!

My 21 month old daughter always wants me to trim her nails when she sees me trimming mine! I also paint her toenails, so maybe that has something to do with it. :)

You might try filing them instead of cutting them...that seemed to work better with my daughter until she got old enough to understand what was going on and would stay still for me.

Counting! Count each finger aloud as you cut the nail. Ask the child to join in...even if they don't know their numbers yet, it becomes more of a game.

K.

I trim my twins nails (they are 17 months old) in the high chair.

When my babies were babaies and i couldn't cut their much needed fingernails I would bite them off. Really it wasn't too bad but I as my girls got older they saw my paint my nail and ask for me too paint their nail. I told only if they let me cut their nails. I only painted their nails a pale pink. Also keep your nailclippers everywhere you go. I would sometimes cut their nails in the car when they fell asleep.
Goood Luck

We've all been there-I still struggle with my 27 month old, but it has definitely gotten better- now my 6 month old is the main problem because he too wakes up when I trim his nails. Maybe she would at least let you file them so they're not so sharp. We had to do a lot of mommy "cutting" Daddy's nails or my own and then cutting my son's around that age. Keep trying different things...Good luck!

I have 2 suggestions:

Either cut one fingernail and one toenail every day, she should sit still for this and eventually they will all get cut...

Or tell her if she sits still while you cut all of her nails that you will paint her toenails any color she wants, my daughter always loved this and doing it on the toes is safer than fingers that will get chewed on.

Do you think she is mature enough (we all know age is not the only factor) for a little bit of kids nail polish? Maybe if you can show her that after you clip a few nails, she gets a reward, something that she is not used to. Maybe its nail polish, or a stamp on her hand, or a piece of candy. My 18 month old son understands directions very well, and we can even ask him to stop crying before we can eat or things like that. So, maybe she is ready for a little more conversation about it, and something to look forward to when she is done. Good luck, it is a bit difficult with my son too, but not impossible. ~A.~

How about striking a bargain of, say, 2 nails a day during a specific time (i.e. make it a ritual)? Good luck.

K.

I agree with a previous response - When my cousin was little she refused to let her mom trim her nails anymore. However, if I came over and did it, she was perfectly still and just fine and sat on the bathroom counter and watched me. Does she have a favorite babysitter or cousin... grandparents, anyone? I'd try that...

I also clip my nails first and this interests her and she sees that it doesn't hurt and then she's wanting to have her nails "match" mommy. Sometimes I get out some nail polish and let her pick a color, and then I'll put it on my nails and then do her nails.

Doing it in the high chair really helped contain her. Also, this is going to sound strange, but lately the best place has been while she's sitting on the potty. We are in the midst of potty training and often wants to sit a long time because she says she's not done. I get bored, so try to multi-task. This way, she also knows that she gets a sticker for her potty chart out of the deal.

Your little one will get less wiggly as she gets older, as I remember my daughter being that way six-eight months ago. (Mine is now 26 months old.)

Good luck!

We also use the highchair for our squirmy wormy.

We have the nail clippers talk to our kids, and say that they are hungry. Then we just make eating noises when we are clipping. When we are done, we tell the kids thank you, and that we are full. It's more of a game, and it might make her cooperate.

Good Luck

My advice is to just keep doing what you have to do to get them safely trimmed. I had the same problem with my little girl, who is 3 years old now. She was impossible. We just kept doing it, even if we had to both hold her down, and eventually she just stopped fighting us because I guess she realized it was going to happen no matter how hard she faught. Now she just sits in our laps and watches. Sorry I don't have an immediate solution. Good luck!

I have had better luck with my kiddos using a nail file. For what ever reason they are somewhere fearful of the clipper. Usually do them in front of a favorite video. Maybe spread it out over the course of 4 days. One hand or foot per day.

Have you tried doing while she's in the highchair or carseat. Then she can't wiggle away and you can hold her arm.

I had to literally lay my son down on his back on the floor and put my leg over him. If I was doing right hand I would do left leg over the left arm and leg and then hold the right arm for dear life. Now it is much easier and he actually goes to get the clippers when his nails are long or split.

This was the worst age for us, by far. We ended up just having me and my husband pin the boy down and clip them. When he got closer to 2, I was able to clip his toenails by telling him his "piggies" needed haircuts. He loved that idea, and I moved on to fingers from there. He seemed ok if he could sit in my lap and actually watch what I was doing. But it took a while to work up to that point - you have to have a child who is old enough to reason with.

My son does the same thing. I finally found that if I sing him his favorite song and make it sound funny he'll sit still. I also reward with M&Ms which he only gets for special occasions.

L.

C.,
I do in-home childcare and I am the one that usually trims my little one's nails. They tend to sit still for someone other than mom. Have a friend or other family member try, and don't stay in the room when they are doing it.
L.

We have the same problem! I do a few in the bath each night. She is distracted. I also make buzzing noisies when I do it. Good Luck.

To get my daughter to let me clip her nails I first clip mine (or pretend to), then my husbands, and then my sons. She typically wants to do it after I do mine. It is fun b/c it is now "her turn". Works great also for the dentist!

Mine is 14 and still wiggles!! When she was a toddler, we worked out a reward system, but be prepared for stops and starts with it. I would first file or cut my nails in front of her and then take a drink of soda (or some other "reward"). Then I would ask her if she wanted a drink - of course the answer was always yes, so I'd say "Ok, let me trim two nails and you can have a drink". Some parents don't like to use the reward system, but there are times when it teaches them that by delibrate action on their part there is a rewarding reaction. My sister had a lot of success with her daughter by having Grammie ohh and ahh over "pretty nails". My sister would show Grammie her pretty nails, get the ohh and ahhs and then my niece was pushing her way in to get her nails done. Whatever works for you! Parenting is a daily contest of wills and wits - Good luck!

Tell her she needs a pedicure. Tell her that she needs her nails clipped and she has to be still then she'll have a bath to soak her feet. You will put lotion on her feet and then paint her nails a pretty pink. If your toe nails are painted that will make things easier for her to understand. Just stress to her that she has to be a big girl and be still and then she'll get pretty toes. My now 8 1/2 yo wouldn't calm down at night when she was about 18 month so to keep her still I painted her toes. She understood she had to be still while they dried or they'd get yucky. While waiting for them to dry she usually fell asleep. Good luck.

My daughter is 14 months and the way we distract her is when we give her something to drink and she can watch tv. There are also times when I don't have the distraction, but I'll sit her on my lap and will talk/show her what I'm doing. She seems pretty interested during those times. Maybe it's just because I'm talking to her and she can see what's going on. Of course, there are also times when it becomes a 2-person job and daddy will jump around and distract her.

bite them-it may be uncomfortable for you to do...but we do what we need to do:)

I have a wiggley 18 month old too! I do her nails while she watches her favorite movie. Right in the beginning when she is the most attentive!
good luck!

ps. i am new to austin and i was wondering what activities you do with your child. We arejoinig Soccortots ad Heartsong Music Together...any other ideas??