Any advice for these issues?

My girls resisted all three of the following activities this evening, as usual. I'm about to snap so any advice is appreciated!

1) Standing in bathtub - They take baths together and refuse to sit down. They have lots of bath toys...I even opened one of their V-day gifts early and gave it to them to try to get them to sit. They sit to pickup a toy and then up they go again. Some might suggest I take them out of the tub...well that's all good if they LIKED the tub...but they don't. They are happy to be taken out and cry to get out after a few minutes. It's very dangerous for them to stand their entire bath. ...and I feel like their biskookias are not getting as clean as they should because it's hard for me to wash that area while standing!

2) Cutting of nails...especially toe nails - They fight me everytime I try to cut their nails. It's awful. I have an easier time doing finger nails than I do toes. Toes is a two person job and we literally have to hold them down.

3) Brushing teeth - They want to brush their own teeth, which means chewing on the brush, and do not want mommy or daddy to help. Again, we have to hold them down to brush their teeth.

Both girls are sick and today has been a looooonnnnngggggg day!

 

first I wanted to give you a :hug99:

Nails, yup, mine too.

teeth, yup, mine too. They do better with the electric toothbrushes though.

standing in tub, yup mine too. i often will throw one of my bigger kids in the tub with them and they will sit to play with them, otherwise it is a lot of "sit down" and the tub ends very quickly if they don't listen. It eventually sinks in but until then it can really make bathtime unenjoyable.

 

1- my girls are sitters, so no experience here. But, I've read several places that it is really only necessary to give a bath several times a week. If you are doing it every night, then I would think a very short bath would be fine.

2- same issues here. Honestly, I keep clippers in the car & clip them when they are sleeping in their car seats

3- we sing song, DD usually picks Row, Row your boat. It helps because she knows how long it will last, makes it more fun & often she giggles - wide open mouth :winking0009:

 

Standing in the tub: when mine were that age, I read something that said that they were safer standing than if you are fighting them to sit. I just let mine stand. Once I stopped making it a big deal to sit, they did it on their own, because they found out they could have more fun that way.

Nails: I have just always done them when I got an opportunity. Try waiting until they are engaged in a video, then it is easier.

Brushing teeth: our hygientist said that chewing on a toothbrush is fine, and to just let them do it.

 

1. bathtime no advice....maybe get pretty tub floor mats that are 'seats' for them? Mine love the bath and HATE to be taken out when they stand, so standing was not a problem.

2. For toenails- I painted the girls toes, they will hold still for me to trim them IF I paint them pretty afterward. Bribery, yes- but it works.

3. Teeth- Mommy/Daddy brush then they get a turn. If they fight they do NOT get a turn. They LOVE the electric toothbrushes so they usually cooperate.

HTH!

KC

 

QUOTE(Kellyx2 @ Feb 12 2008, 08:21 PM) [snapback]618864[/snapback]
My girls resisted all three of the following activities this evening, as usual. I'm about to snap so any advice is appreciated!

1) Standing in bathtub - They take baths together and refuse to sit down. They have lots of bath toys...I even opened one of their V-day gifts early and gave it to them to try to get them to sit. They sit to pickup a toy and then up they go again. Some might suggest I take them out of the tub...well that's all good if they LIKED the tub...but they don't. They are happy to be taken out and cry to get out after a few minutes. It's very dangerous for them to stand their entire bath. ...and I feel like their biskookias are not getting as clean as they should because it's hard for me to wash that area while standing!
When mine were that age(not long ago) and they liked to stand I finally gave in and just let them take a shower. Sometimes I gave them a shower together although it's easier one at a time.


2) Cutting of nails...especially toe nails - They fight me everytime I try to cut their nails. It's awful. I have an easier time doing finger nails than I do toes. Toes is a two person job and we literally have to hold them down.
Sorry no help here, mine actually like to get their nails trimmed. Maybe you could do it while they're sleeping or watching a movie like PP's said or maybe in the highchair.

3) Brushing teeth - They want to brush their own teeth, which means chewing on the brush, and do not want mommy or daddy to help. Again, we have to hold them down to brush their teeth.
I tell mine that Mommy brushes first and then they get a turn.

Both girls are sick and today has been a looooonnnnngggggg day!
:hug99:

 

:hug99: I HATE days like that!

Bath: I would try one at a time and just make them sit down. Or, go for the shower thing. I put a hand sprayer on my shower for the kids, and two of them LOVE the sprayer shower, the other 3 hate it. So, it may work if they don't like the bath anyway and sitting doesn't happen.

Nails: That's another hard one. I cut the nails until they are hanging by a thread on one side, then they pull it off. It takes forever, but they love it and sit for it. Toes, sometimes I have to do one or two at a time and wait until later for the next one or two.

Teeth: Yes, mine like to chew on the toothbrush, too. I let them, but not until I have brushed first.

Those are all hard ones. Prayers in patience are what often get me through :lol:

 

My kids love to brush their own teeth but I do it first and then I let them have it. It took a week of struggle before they understood that we take turns. As soon as I'm done, I say I'm now its your turn. they have the concept of taking turns down.

I do their nails in their sleep... especially DD. she hates having it done.

My dh does bath time and he lets them stand... :icon_eek: I can't watch bathtime, so no help there, sorry.

 

Aside from the bath issues (mine have always loved their baths) I can relate to your other issues. The only thing I can tell you is that it gets better with age. Mine both hated getting their nails trimmed. Believe it or not...I started painting their nails and light pink when I was done and as long as they knew that they were getting their nails painted...they let me do it. (yes, I even painted my sons nails much to the dismay of my husband....)...but it worked and now they are used to getting their nails trimmed.

Also, the teeth brushing is very normal for the chewing on the brush and as PP said...okay for them to do at a young age. They get better at that skill with age and just as long and you keep showing them the correct way. I started brushing my teeth with them and they would try to imitate me with the brushing motion.

Hang in there, it does get better as they get older.

 

One suggestion for toothbrushing, that I think I picked up here on TS - try laying them on the floor, then straddle them so you are kneeling and your legs are keeping their arms pinned against their sides. Then tell them to open their mouths and you brush their teeth.

Sounds cruel, but mine completely stopped fighting us when they were in this position, and after a few days of it when we told them it was time to brush teeth they would lie down on the living room floor on their own.

good luck!

-Rachel

 

Standing in bathtub: Mine don't sit down either. ardon: I just let them stand the whole time, and as far as my dd's "biskookia" {:rofl:} I just try and clean it as best as I can.

Cutting nails: I put on the TV and let them watch Dora {their fav} while I do it.

Brushing teeth: I give them a toothbrush, and I've made it our rule for now that I was their teeth first and then they get to do it too. So far, it's working...no telling what tomorrow will bring.

:hug99:

 

1. When my boys went through that phase, we bathed them one at a time until they stopped doing it. I would put one guy in the tub and wash him as fast as possible with one hand, holding him down with the other. Then took him out and washed his brother. They quickly learned it wasn't any fun in the tub without their brother around so the antics stopped pretty quickly.

2. Nails - ugh! This has always been a problem for us. When they were younger, I'd sit them on my lap and DH would bring in gadgets from the kitchen - things they weren't normally allowed to play with. Kitchen utensils, cell phones, keys - novel objects they we didn't usually give them. We would also have music on in the background. They would sit on my lap facing DH and I would hold their hands up to trim the nails. I would try to be quiet too. They would get distracted and sort of forget I was there. Now I do it while they are watching Thomas videos. Distraction is the key.

3. We'd give them the brush and let them do their thing and then say, "Now Mommy's going to help you finish". Or do it the other way around and say, "Now YOU finish. Good job! Great brushing!". I've also heard standing in front of the bathroom mirror and you brushing your teeth while they brush theirs helps. Or let them brush your teeth, and then say, "now let me do yours". We haven't tried that tactic though.

Michelle

 

QUOTE(Kellyx2 @ Feb 13 2008, 01:21 AM) [snapback]618864[/snapback]
My girls resisted all three of the following activities this evening, as usual. I'm about to snap so any advice is appreciated!

1) Standing in bathtub - They take baths together and refuse to sit down. They have lots of bath toys...I even opened one of their V-day gifts early and gave it to them to try to get them to sit. They sit to pickup a toy and then up they go again. Some might suggest I take them out of the tub...well that's all good if they LIKED the tub...but they don't. They are happy to be taken out and cry to get out after a few minutes. It's very dangerous for them to stand their entire bath. ...and I feel like their biskookias are not getting as clean as they should because it's hard for me to wash that area while standing!

2) Cutting of nails...especially toe nails - They fight me everytime I try to cut their nails. It's awful. I have an easier time doing finger nails than I do toes. Toes is a two person job and we literally have to hold them down.

3) Brushing teeth - They want to brush their own teeth, which means chewing on the brush, and do not want mommy or daddy to help. Again, we have to hold them down to brush their teeth.

Both girls are sick and today has been a looooonnnnngggggg day!


Standing in tub -- even if they like getting out of the tub, you can still use that as a consequence for standing. It doesn't have to be a punishment -- just a natural result. I actually used this to my advantage when my girls were going through their "We hate baths" phase (right around that age), because it was soooo much quicker to give them a bath.

If "biskookias" means what I assume it means, now I actually have them stand up to wash that part! I find it much easier than when they're sitting down.

We also only do baths twice a week (though now that they're toddlers, I'm thinking we might have to do it more often.)

Cutting of nails -- hold them down if you have to. If it helps, at around age 2 mine suddenly became very interested in the process and it became much easier (except that now they want to "help"). One thing to try is make sure you are holding their foot very firmly so it doesn't tickle.

Brushing teeth -- we give them a turn (counting to 10) and then we take a turn (also counting to 10). We still frequently have to pry the brush out of their little hands. Sometimes it helps to give them an old brush (or some other small object) to chew on and then try to brush around that. But it continues to be a struggle. I had a brief success with Amy by asking her to "show me which teeth to brush," but that only lasted a week or two. Sometimes I let them brush my teeth while I brush theirs, though this is hard because they have no idea how to not gag me with the brush. (OTOH, it gives me more sympathy for what it must feel like to them.) It can also become a struggle as they try to put my brush in their mouths and vice versa -- blech. But it's worth a shot.

Hope something in here is helpful! If all else fails, tell yourself "This too shall pass."