Dear Mommas,
Ever since my son was a baby, he loves to scratch himself on the face. so i have learned to keep his nails short and filed. However, I am not perfect and if I forget to check each day for sharp edges...oops he will accidentally scratch his face. The 6 weeks -- every other week he has drawn blood.
Yes, they heal...but I still feel awful. Today's scratch is across the bridge of his nose and is bloody :(
I feel helpless. How do I do this better? Should I keep his face moist all the time? file his nails every day instead of every other day. I clip his nails once a week.
Sigh...anyone else go through this?
Thanks,
Jilly
sorry...my son is 3 years old. and he is still doing this. I guess i just have to do his nails each day or something?
I assume you bathe him every night (I know I bathed our daughter every night) Make the clipping and nail filing part of the bath routine every night.
You can actually do it while he is still in the tub!
You are a great mom. We just do our best..
Just keep trimming and filing them. I wouldn't keep his skin moist other then a little lotion if his skin is dry. As he gets older he should stop doing it.
My son is 2 1/2 and the same thing happens with him. My son will usually wake up that way having nicked himself in his sleep. Just keep his nails trimmed , there's not much else to do. You're doing fine!
Jilly:
Your son is 3 years old and is scratching his face enough to draw blood? You are NOT a bad mama!! You are doing preventative care by clipping and filing nails...
Does he scratch to draw blood or does he just scratch and blood is drawn?
I am wondering if he has an allergy that causes his face to itch...hence his scratching...or if it is now a habit?
My son, at age 9, STILL bites his nails - to the quick - URGH!! We remind him FREQUENTLY - hands out of the mouth....and we compliment him when we see no hands in the mouth. When we are watching a movie - I have him put socks over his hands so that he cannot chew his nails...
good luck!
if he does this in his sleep? have him wear gloves or socks over his hands to bed.
you are a great mama who is being proactive in trying to keep the scratches down to a minimum. you may have to file, not clip, his nails daily.
Is your baby 6 weeks old? If he's an infant simply do as you're doing and keep something over his hands when ever you need to. Some sleepers come with the little fold over mitts, most don't. Put little socks over his hands if need be if you have nothing else. Some babies do this more than others.
This will get better.
