PLEASE!!! I Need Help Clipping Nails!!!

Why don't you try biting her nails? If you bite a corner, you should be able to tear the rest of the nail off. They are brittle.

I do my kids nails, who are 2 and 4, while they sleep but usually only a few nails at time as they start to wake up. They never woke up when they were babies.

Bribery! i have a 1 year old daughter and what I do is get her a lollypop and tell her she can have it as long as she lets me clip her nails. When she starts to fuss, I tell her "OK, give me the sucker" then she goes back to holding still. She also LOVES her nails to be painted, so I bought this quick dry polish for her. We clip them with the sucker and then paint them. All in all it takes about 20 minutes are we're done. She got her sucker and polish and I get the piece of mind that she's not going to claw her or other's faces! Good luck! We also got a little pair of clippers at a beauty supply store. they're little and pink with a little bear on it and she likes that too.

Hi L.

I don't know why most kids have such fears when it comes to having things clipped and cut. My son had his 1st hair cut when he was about 3yrs old and you would have tought he was being murdered the way he screamed. He hated it for years! I guess I can see from a childs eyes why having something that cuts part of them off is scary. I can't tell if their fear is instinct or fear of the unknown.

Anyway, here are a few thngs to try. You can always try a nail file instead of clippers. They make a pack of baby files at babies r us and they are about 99 cents. I used them on my son when he was a new born, but I found regular nail files work just as well if not better. They are courser so they file quicker. Also, when it comes to some of the things we have to do to our kids to keep them groomed that they don't like, it helps to have someone else do them, and for mom or dad to not be arround. I run a home child care and each week I clip all of their nails, clean their ears, give medicine when they refuse for parents (eye drops for pink is a big one), I even have a mom that does hair come every 8 weeks to do hair cuts. The kids love it and never freak. I had one little boy that would only take a bath for me,he freaked at home. The key thing is their parents are not here. Even now, my son is 8yrs old, and he goes next door to a nighbors house to have his hair cut. I never go w/ him and my son and the lady that cuts his hair likes it that way. He is good now for hair cuts, but he is even better if I'm not there. It's true kids always act better for someone else. Another thing to try is sitting her on a counter so she is about chest level, hold her hand tight and close to you and clip. I think it works because at that point they are more affraid of falling, not nail clipping. Also, being that she is a little girl (she may be to young) Have a nail party, do yours and hers,even big brother. Make it a fun thing! They do have childrens salons, and I bet even an adult salon would help you get them clipped for a few bucks. I know they probably need to be cliped at least weekly so that could get time consuming and expensive. It might make a nice reward when she is older. Even at home if she sees you polish your nails and wants polish on her nails you can use it as a reward for letting you clip her nails. They have polish that dries in 60sec., it's perfect. for kids. She will get excited about picking her own color! I also think w/ kids (if you don't have, or don't want to use an out side source) be consitant. When my son went from a file to a cliper, he did not like it either. I did have a friend do it for me for a while, but when she moved I had no choice. I started doing it every Sunday after bath time. We did nails and ears every Sunday, and he got use to it, we still do it that way. And I would do your sons at the same time, maybe even first so she can see big brother is fine. My last thought on this, don't just have the nail clippers out when its time to clip her nails. Let her see them, maybe she has a baby doll that needs it's nails cut, also let her see them, and touch or hold the clipers. When you think about how we (I know I would) react when a child reaches for something that can hurt them, and then turn arroud and use it on them. I'm not saying let her play w/ it like she does her own toys or anything crazy. I just would not create a fear in her by acting fearfull either while you are cutting her nails or if she reached for it. I also would not hold her down or force her,that in and of it self is scary.

If none of this workes and you don't just want to let it go, and you have to hold her down or restrain her I would go w/ the nail file. At least you will not run the risk of cutting her.

Well, I never thought I would have so much to say on nail clipping. I appoligize that this is so long, but I do hope it helps. Keep in mind she will pobably out grow the fear as she gets older. Good luck, and keep us posted on what ended up working. Don't worry, settle down, and she will too.

T.

My daughter loves getting her nails cliped, however my cat hates it. To click his nails we do one or two a day. Whatever he will stand. You might try that.

I always cut my girls nails at night until they are old enough to sit still. Nap time is a good time to do toe nails because they do not have their footed pj on. Hope this helps.

I have had a lot of luck trimming my daughters nails easily... I always do it while she is laying on her changing table and we have placed a wind chime above it and I distract her by hitting it a few times through out the process and singing to her to keep her calm... I do the same when changing her as well so she doesnt wiggle and fuss... she sometimes tried to grab them out of my hand and play with them but that is about it. If she ever has any problems I always stop and try again in about 20 min.

L.,

Try turning on her favorite video or sing a song with her.......try cutting just a few nails at a time so that it is not all at one time. If she does ok with cutting a few nails, make a big deal of it......cheer and give her a little treat.

Good luck!!
D.

Hi L.! Yep, same here, my daughter is the exact same way, still is and she's 2 now. It's gotten a little better but not much, she just can't sit still. But I don't really know why or anything, so I just have to muscle through it. The only thing that makes it slightly easier if I do mine first and talk to her about what I'm doing while I do it and then put her in a chair orher bed and sit next to her, a little lower than her, it's less threatening, and I play with her toes and stuff first, do the This Little Piggy thing, and then I just muscle through it. Eventually over time they will get used to it. It's not a very natural thing really and they just don't understand what it's for, also we don't do it everyday so by the time it's time to do it again it's been forgotten how painless it was. Good Luck! God Bless!

If it upsets her that much, try a nail file.

You could try doing it while they are asleep?

Two suggestions: 1. you can try using the nail scissors that they have for newborns - it could be something as simple as the noise the clippers make when they cut the nail that your child doesn't like. 2. as long as the nails don't get too long in between, you can file them instead of cutting them.
Best of luck,
J.

Try clipping her nails while she sleeps. I was told that by a doctor. I did it to my son when he was little because he hated having his nails clipped when he was awake.

Both my 4 year old and 2 year are the same way. My 4 year old is a little better. I know this is probably not the recommended way but I peel them. I am not sure really how this got started but it works for both of them. The toe nails are not that big of a deal....my kids nails do not grow very fast, so we can go a long time before we get the clippers out. Just recently my son has been okay with the clippers. My daughter on the other hand will not let me near her with nail clippers, unless I am going to paint her nails. So, I just clip and paint when need be and it has seems to work. Before I learned the peel method I use to stress about clipping their nails.

Good Luck!
D.

I was gonna suggest to them while she is sleeping, guess that didnt work, you can try clipping them while she is in the bathtub, or what my mom said she used to do it bite them, not sure if that will work but worth a shot right.

Good luck hope that helps

G.

I dont know if this would work on a one year old, but with my 8 mon th old, I use my mouth, I know that sounds wierd, but my doctor suggested it and it has always worked. I just gently bite them off like they were my own nails.

My son does the same thing. I think its the fact that he doesn't want to sit still long enough to do it. Unfortunately we have to hold him down to it. Daddy normally hold him on his lap, and I do the cutting...one hand has a firm(but not tight) grip on his hand and the other does the clipping. He screams about it, but its got to get done.

I dont recommend biting them. Have her sit in your lap put your leg over hers and hold her that way. yes she is going to pull away and fight and scream but you wont be hurting her. The doctor told me to do this becuase i was in the same position as you. She is mad for being held down but you wont hurt her doing it that way.

Does she respond well to singing? We sing This little piggy went to the market as we clip each finger (piggy). As long as I do it quick along with the song, she tolerates it, but if I take too long it's over.

My daughter used to pull away, too. I don't know if it'll be much help, but all it took for her was for me to do a mother-daughter manicure together and turn it into fun time. I clipped mine first and let her watch and showed her that after I clipped hers we would paint them all pretty and I let her pick a color, then she was much more cooperative.

L.,

I wait until my daughter is relaxed and slightly sleepy. I gather my manicure bag and hold her for a while. Then I trim my nails with her sitting on my lap and ask if she would like me to trim her's as well. I talk to her about what I'm doing and encourage her to help hold the baby clippers. I do all the trimming, but she gets to feel a little more in control. My sister-in-law bribes her kids with suckers and gum. Her kids are 3 and 5. Hope this helps.

J.

When my boys were little, I would put on a serious southern drawl and pretend like I was working at an old-fashioned beauty shop. "Why hi thar honey, whutz yer name?" kinda thing I would pretend I was smacking my gum and just lay it on thick, asking questions like I didn't know them. They'd be too busy laughing and trying to figure out what I was doing next to protest. I'd make comments like "Oh, my those are some purty little fingers you got there" "Why, honey, I think I can fix that right up for you" stuff like that. It was a hoot!

Now dont think this is gross.. BUT.. A lady I met at the store told me this one....

Play around... put their hand in your mouth.. And well.. Bit it off...

I have to do that to Josh alot.. It works great!!! Ya just have a tissue ready to put the clippings in....

That or tryyyyyyyyy to wait till they are sleeping... And in my case it wakes him up....

He is ok with toes... but fingers goodness!!! The mouth works well!!! Do it after a bath and they are softer!!!!

Have you tried to just use an emery board? I was prone to clipping too short when my, now 13 year old, was an infant, so I just started filing them down. It worked well, adn was a lot quicker than a fight. You can have her choose a fun colored one, I know we have many to choose from at the dollar stores, and sometimes you can find heart and happy face ones. You can do your best to make it a fun event, even letting her do some of it if she wants to hold the end of the emery board, not alone of course.

I hope this helps!!!

T.

My son has a Baby Einstein video he absolutely loves, "Baby Bach". I put that in only when it is time to do his nails, so he actually looks forward to it now. He just vegs in front of the tv for 2 minutes and wha la, it's done. So find her favorite thing and pair it with nail clipping. She can only have that thing when she's getting her nails done.

I just had my six month old grand-daughter for the past ten days and I found that if I used an emery board to do her nails it was easier and theres no chance of cutting her. You might want to give this a try. Good luck.

My pediatrician told me to always use an emery board or a nail file, that way you can never get them too short! You also may want to do it right after a bath or during story time. If she sees you filing your nails before you do hers, she will be more interested and comfortable with it. My 2 year old loves to bring me an emery board and have her nails done...and then I paint them for her! Good luck!

This is gonna sound silly but my son is that way when it comes to his toe nails. But after I cut a nail I tell him to blow the clippers to get the nail off. Also I got just a soft buffer and I let him "file" them after I cut them.

I think letting him in on the action helped keep him calm.

I used to do it when my kids were sleeping but now that they're older (2 1/2 and 18 months) I give them a Nuby cup in one hand and distract them with a favorite cartoon while I clip the nails on the other hand. This keeps their mind off it long enough for me to get the job done. But I do have to go as quickly as possible while being safe b/c they get squirmy after not very long! I would recommend doing it right when she wakes up or if she's getting sleepy b/c she'll likely be less alert and more relaxed (willing to cooperate).