Any tips for cutting toe nails?

My DS, bless his pointy head, is an absolute nightmare when it comes to having his toenails trimmed. He screams and yells like someone is torturing him. I feel so bad that he is so unhappy to have it done-but it's a necessary evil. Right now, it takes DH to hold his leg and I hold his foot to trim the nails...does anyone have any suggestions that I could make this a little easier for DS? Or is this just one of those things he will grow out of eventually. DD is very good about it and when DS was baby, he was great about it and something changed when he got older.

Thanks for any advice!

 

Wrap him up like a mummy? :laughing:

I don't know, we have the same issue with ALL of our boys. Lennon (finally) will sit still, but he still flinches, whines, and complains that it hurts the entire time.

 

Do you use a clippers or scissors? Both of mine fought nails for years. Sometime around 3, they saw me cutting my nails with a nail scissors and asked that I use the same for them. It is a adult nail scissors so quite sharp, but takes a fraction of the time that it used to take with clippers and no battles.

Best of luck!

 

That is soo funny! I thought my kids were weird. Mine HATE IT! They don't mind the fingers but the TOES- forget it!

If I tell them I'll paint a toenail when we're done, with polish- their cool w/ it tho. Just a suggestion Works everytime

 

I have to bribe my son with an M&M or a sucker. He hates getting his toe nails cut and that is the only way I can get it done.

 

Hi:

We had better luck when we switched to scissors (and let them "hold" the clippings in their hands while we clipped, so that they could "see" what the clipping did.) I think maybe we them once with the clippers, which is why they hated those. We also clipped our nails "first" so they can see us doing it.

Now, we clip after bath (when nails are soft) or while watching TV and all the fighting about clipping is over.

Good luck!

Meg -- Mom to 4 year old boy girl twins

 

KIDDY BURRITO!

(Since you have cats, you'll understand the kitty/kiddy burrito comment. Ya know, when you wrap them up tight with a towel and they meow a lot when you clip their claws? :lol: )

 

I make a game out of it. Like pretend the nails are hitting you in the face as you clip them. It's great fun for all

 

Bribery or television (whichever works better for him). Neither of mine are very happy about having their toenails trimmed -- I think it just tickles a lot. It was a great relief when they were finally old enough (around age 4) to at least understand why it was necessary!

Now sometimes they will say "Mommy, you need to cut my toenails, they're too long!" But I still have to bribe or somehow coerce them to sit still for the actual clipping.

 

Bex---kitty burrito :rofl: Totally understand that one!

Thanks ladies for all of your advice, I will try those things and see if I can make it more appealing for him.

 

Do it after a bath so the nails are softer. I use scissors and count as I go along, they know they're free when I get to 10!

 

We bribe, too - he can stay up later and get his toenails cut or go to bed. He hates going to bed, so he'll happily endure the "torture" for that. He'd actually prefer his toenails being cut to his fingernails. Opposite of some of the PPs.

 

Television works for us usually. And I tell stories about getting my nails cut as a child (totally made up stories... but hearing that I didn't like getting my nails cut as a kid has helped my girls get over their freak out phase)

 

Oh yeah, I just had to do this tonight, and they were NOT happy. I promised them that if they cooperated really well, we could read more books before going to bed. Also, since they can't see what I'm doing, I gently touch the toe I'm going to next and tell them I'm going to trim that nail - that (kind of) helps them prepare for it. Oh, and we always do it after the bath. But still, they hated every minute! After I promised extra reading time and got ready to do Ivy's feet, she started crying, "Don't want to read more books!" And this is the girl who would literally sit and read with me for hours straight if I let her.

They do giggle a bit when we do high fives with their foot on my hand.

 

Mine are actually ok with getting there's cut, but I was wondering if a nail file would work? I've never tried it, but I wonder if it would somehow fascinate him enough to let you do it.

 

I sing "where is thumbkin/pointer/tall man/ring finger/pinkie" while I cut each nail. I started doing this when they were babies and now they sing with me. Sometimes they complain about it, but mostly they know it needs to be done.

 

i do it when they're sleeping... both of mine go nuts otherwise.

gl!

 

I do it after dinner when they are watching Baby Einstein and are sat in their highchairs (they cant escape!). As they are distracted, I can do finger nails and toe nails in one go! If Baby Einstein doesn´t work, then the BBC´s In The Night Garden show does!! Toys or books also! GL!

 

My son was the same way, no amount of bribery ever worked. I have no tips, but he did eventually grow out of it. He still gets a little squimish when it comes to his toes being clipped, and sometimes will jerk back (makes me so mad). He'd just rather cut them himself now. My girls are the same way, but I bribe them with painting their toes (I don't think you're DH would like that very much )