Suggestions on Nail Clipping

With my 13 month old, I put a video on, and put her in her high chair. She is used to the restraint of it, and it keeps her contained a bit. It works for me, but it may not work for you. Good luck!

I always clipped my kids nails when they were asleep. Works great!
T.

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I used to have to clip my sons nails while he was zoned out watching a video. I'd have him sit in my lap and have him start watching something on tv and be able to do it then.

What worked best for us in the beginning and still does work now that I think about it, was to have him sit on our lap facing out. I think it freaked him out to see us coming at him with the clippers. So one time I sat him on my lap, not facing me, and it seemed to not freak him out as much as turning him toward me. I know that sounds stupidly simple, but it was the only trick that worked for us. And I talked to him the whole time about something silly to keep his mind occupied. He would-and still does-occasionally jerk his hand back. I'm sure that's just instinct. I also clipped his nails while he slept. But only if I felt certain he would not wake up or if it was close to wake up time so if I did wake him, it was not the end of the world.

I do it when my son wakes up from a nap and is still kinda groggy. I turn on a video (usually Elmo) and he lets me clip his finger nails. For toe nails I will use the nap and video but I put him in the high chair and do a clip/this little piggy went to market combo. Another idea is to do it if they fall asleep in the car:) GOOD LUCK

I tried to make a game of it by pretending the clipper was a snake and hissing until it got to the nail and then exclaimed, "SNAP!" when I clipped. For some reason it worked and my kids would start laughing in anticipation before it got to them and would hold still so they could hear the snap (I would take it away if they were moving!)

Hi there,
I have a 17 month old daughter who doesn't like her nails being clipped either. My husband and I tag team her in the evenings after her bath. The nails are much easier to clip after they have soaked in the water. We get her dressed in her PJs, sit on the couch, give her milk and start clipping. She usually makes it through both hands without too much fuss. Hope this helps! Good Luck!!!

I've found that buckling my daughter into her highchair is the best way to get all that accomplished! I just give her a bit of a snack and she doesn't even notice.

Asleep or while watching a favorite show. She is probably old enough to do the "You can watch this show while I trim your nails". Is she into princesses? She may cooperate if some pretty pink polish is the end result.

My daughter always hated getting her nails clipped, until I started to clip my nails right in front of her... she of course wanted to do what mommy was doing. So, I had her nail clippers right there and I would clip one of my nails and then clip one of hers. Worked like a charm. I also made it into a little game. I told her to hold out the finger that she wanted me to clip. And then I'd sing this little song "clip, clop, clip, clop"... just to make it a little more fun. Cutting nails is not easy. But this worked for me.

When my children were that small and didn't want to sit still for nail clipping I just waited til they were asleep.

Have you thought about cutting them when she takes a nap?

Might try it when she's SOUND asleep or some other time when she's sitting quietly (watching TV, looking at a book, etc). I also bit off my kids' fingernails and only had a problem with one child -- when I pulled the nail off the last end, it would pull a little 'string' off the side of his nail (into the 'quick') and it would get really sore. Otherwise, they always tore straight across. (We have 4 grown kids and 3 little 'grands', but I mostly use the clippers on the little ones. Maybe my teeth are getting worn down or something! LOL).

I do it like another mom said -- sit them on your lap facing out. It not only makes it easier for the kid, but handier for YOU --having their hands/nails in a similar position as in cutting your OWN fingernails!

Oh, and if she's 'the boss' about this, I expect she's high-spirited (and that maybe you're not). Our daughter is the peaceful, compliant type, and her oldest 'type-A' kid is rather a handful for her). If this is the case with you, you might want to read some books about 'strong-willed' kids and how to deal with them pro-actively. (I wasn't a 'sweet' mama, but my husband is a sweet daddy to balance it all out!)

Blessings 2 U!

Sit on the floor in front of the tv with her favorite show or movie on. Sit with her between your legs (both facing the tv). Put a towel over her belly and legs (to catch the clippings). You'll have to do this over her shoulder. Just gradually clip away while she watches her program. If at the end she starts to get antsy about it, try counting..."Almost done , Sweetie...1...2...3" This way she'll feel better knowing there's an end in site.

I do my 16 mo old daughter's while she's eating. It's the only time she's still.....

I used to wait for my niece to go to sleep. After she was asleep a couple hours, I would go in and clip her toe nails. Even did this as she was older as her feet were so ticklish she wouldn't let me touch them. It worked out and she didn't know a thing.
A.

Ha! We have the same problem and have to cut my daughters nails almost every week cause they grow so fast. I wait till my husband comes home and he entertains her by acting looney while i cut the nails. She still complains but it makes it doable. Good thing he's not afraid to make a fool of himself!

L.

Try clipping her nails when she is asleep - sounds crazy but it works - i did it w/ 2 out of 3 of my kids, i should've w/ the first one too,

the only time I could ever get my daughters' nails done were when they were sleeping. I kept a pair of clippers in the car and would cut them when we pulled into the garage. That way, if they woke up, it wasn't a big issue.

I used to cut both my childrens nails while they was asleep. You might try that.

You may think this is gross but a few of my friends have suggested it to me so anyone who comments, it has been done........ :o) I would bite them while I was rocking her to sleep then spit out the nail. Way easier and you can judge how low to go w/ out hurting her. Or, you can give her a lollipop to hold in one hand and "watch mommy make your nails pretty" or do your own first and let her watch. Or, have your husband hold her while you do it....hold her hands. Or, file them instead! I have done this too and it does work. Their nails are so soft that they file down pretty quick and there is no way to cut her.

W.

Have you tried doing it when she is sleeping?

I have twin boys and I have always clipped their nails right after their bath and right before bed time. The reason I do this is because their nails are softer right after their bath and easier to cut. They like me doing it right before bed time because anything that delays them from going to bed is always a plus in their book. God Bless,
T.

I remember those days... My son is now 33 months old. I used to do his while he was asleep:-)
Hope this helps!

The easiest way to clip nails is to do it as she sleeps. This also works when trying to get ear drops in when needed. I've even used nap time to trim my son's hair before. He slept right through it.
good luck!
L.

Have you tried doing it while she's asleep? Seems that was always the best time for me to do that on my children.

my best advise is to do it while she is asleep. She won't know that you have done it that way. HTH

My son is 18 months old. Clipping his nails is like trying to pull my teeth. Its so hard. What I still have to do is put him to bed at night. Then wait until he has been asleep for awhile so I know he won't wake up. (I usually go get him and bring him into the living room, but you could do it in her bedroom while shes still in bed.) Then I can cut all of his nails. He still jerks his hands and feet back from me at times, but I can still get them cut. Its a slow process. It usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour, but I can do it.

Do this while she is sleeping...naptime, in the evening, the best is when she has fallen asleep in her carseat (easiest).

Hope this helps.

A.,

When my daughter was that age she wouldn't sit still either. I would get her when she was alseep during her afternoon nap. Never at night so I wouldn't disturb her night time sleep. I would lay her in between my legs and rub her legs until she fell alseep. I was lucky, it worked every time for me.

E.

Try clipping them while she is sleeping .

When my son was younger he hated it as well. I would wait until he would go to sleep and quickly clip them. He never woke up as long as I waited until he was fast asleep. He loves it now, so maybe your daughter will grow out of the phase.

I just hold her hand or her feet really tight, turn on a cartoon and she will usually watch that. If she starts wiggling around, I talk in an "emergency" voice that she needs to be really still so I don't accidentally cut her. I do one finger at a time and sometimes it is a few minutes between fingers. Toes are the hardest. She is sitting in my lap when I do it and watching me so she is usually still enough to see what I am going to do. It is ok if you don't get them all done at once. Do one hand or one foot and try the other one later.

This has been an ongoing struggle for me. The best time for my daughter (15 mo) is if she's still in the car seat watching a DVD after we've been driving. I will do one at a time, not hold her hand down for longer than I have to, then catch her hand again and do the next one. It's having her hands restrained that I think she hates the most. But if I do it with her watching Baby Einstein, still strapped in, I'm able to get them all done. Hope you find a technique that works for you soon! :)

I use to clip my sons nails when he slept, but now it is hard to do. What I do is sit him down between my legs and give him about 15 chocolate chips to munch on while I clip his nails. I usually use dark chocolate b/c he eats them slower. This is a treat for him since he does not get many sweets. It works. Now he brings me the clippers b/c he wants his 15 chocolate chips!

wait until she is napping.

i still havent found a good way to trim the fingers but just doing one or 2 then letting my 16 month old get down and wiggle. as for the toes i do it when shes in her high chair she cant get away and is normally eating and doesnt care hope this helps!

Good luck my son is almost 3 and we still fight. If you can get someone to play with her and you try to clip them, may work it's hard to do but works some times.

Good Luck!!

Stay at home mom with a 15 year old and 2 year old.

wait till she is asleep

hi A.,
I had the same problem at this age and couldn't do during nap time. When I was holding her feet, she was moving. I did when she was watching her favorite movie. Of course at first we had some reactions, but soon got used to this routine. Don't worry, kids at this age grow so fast and change...

S.

do it while they are sleeping or while they are in their high chair eating

Both my kids hate their nails clipped. For my daughter, I was lucky enough to come across some fingernails clippers designed like a crocodile! (At wal mart I think) We made it a game...the crocodile was hungry and she needed to feed it! Yes, sounds and entertainment went along with it! :) She loved it. Perhaps you could find some clippers like that or even make a game out of the ones you have! Good luck!

Keep clippers in your handbag and your car. I always took advantage of the times my kids fell asleep in their carseats or the stroller - they're strapped in and if they are sound sleepers, you can get their nails clipped in no time!

Keep a set of clippers in your car. When your little one falls asleep, just take a minute to clip them before you get out of the car... She'll never even know.

If she's a sound sleeper and touching her won't awaken her, try doing it then.

I had the same problem with my son. I ended up doing it while he would sleep. It was pretty easy, as he would fall asleep in his car seat, and I'd open the van door and just take his little hand and clip his nails.

Hey A.!
I have the same problem with my son so you are not alone! He is a little bit older than your daughter and when I try to clip his nails he says "no no no". I have never hurt him when I have clipped his nails, but he is just too interested in other things. I would recommend doing it when she is very interested in something - I will turn on the tv to something my son likes and get it done then. But most of the time it takes a few days to get all the nails done. Just be patient and don't worry that it doesn't all get done at one sitting. I am sure this phase will pass too!
Cyndi

When my 4 year old was a toddler, we would wait until he was asleep and clip his nails. But, his toes are so ticklish it would wake him up. So we took a pair of socks and cut the toes out of them and put them on him and he never felt us clipping his nails.

I have a 2 1/2 y.o. boy. I have had to cut his when he is asleep. I let him be asleep for an hour or so, so it is a deep sleep and then trim them.

If you are nursing, this will sound crazy but it works. I do it while they are nursing, one they are calm usually then, have their minds on something else. They will usually occasionally stop for a second to see what is going on, i just stop and get them focuse back on nursing. Also, i sometimes have to involve daddy and either daddy holds them and i trim or i hold and he trims. I hope this helps. Www.workathomeunited.com/myfoursons

I used to wait till my son was asleep. I also kept a pair of nail clippers in the car so that I could clip his nails while he was in his car seat.

I keep a nail clipper in the car. Whenever she falls asleep while we're running errands I make my move. Whether we're in a parking lot at the store or our own driveway. I can get both hands and feet and she never knows I've done it.

My daughter will only let me clip hers when she is asleep. Hope this helps.:)

Hi A.~
That's a great question. Actually I have the same issue with my 13 month old. If you get any great tips would you send them my way? Thanks.

P.

Do it when she is asleep and spread a towel in her bed to catch the clippings or hold her in your lap with a tv/movie to distract her maybe. Good luck!

I like using the little curved baby scissors (I have never cut one of my kids ever with them) They are small, curved & blunt.

I sit them in my lap facing out, so when you hold their little hand up, it is like holding your own (it is facing a comfortable direction for trimming)

You can turn on a fav program to help distract.

I set my son at his highchair, set the tray up, and give him a toy that he only see's when he gets his nails clipped. The highchair helps keep him still and the toy helps keep him occupied. It's still tough sometimes, but way easier then trying to hold a squirmy child and not clip the skin. Hope this helps.