Help me trim DD's nails...

[Moneypenny]

...without it being such a traumatic event. She's almost 11 months and has never liked having her hands messed with. When she was tiny, I would just do it when she was asleep, but that hasn't worked for months. We've tried:
- singing her favorite song to her
- letting her watch TV
- whispering to her (usually this fascinates her)
- taking her picture (she loves the camera)
- giving her a toy to play with (but she just wants to hold on to it and I can't get to her nails)

More experienced mamas, I implore you - help me! What tricks am I not thinking of? Lately we have resorted to DH and I basically wrestling with her, holding her still, and getting it done as quickly as possible while she screams bloody murder, cries real tears, and glares at us accusingly. Not fun!

Thank you!

Susan
mama to my cutie pie, Avery
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif[/img][/url]

[kath68]

Been there! I haven't found a great solution, and have resorted to biting his nails at times (!). Clearly not a great long-term solution.

Emory boards worked for a while. Nail scissors, too. But in the end, I still hold him firmly and just try to do it as quickly as possible. I also do just a few at a time, and then do the next few on the next night (it is incorporated into our going to bed routine). So it isn't one long big awful event for any of us. We do it while I sit in the rocker in the nursery, where he is comfortable. Nail trimming is one of the few times DS is allowed his binky these days, which keeps him a little calmer. Then we make extreme happy noises when we are done, and read a book or some other reward.

It seems like breaking it up into smaller episodes helps. Not enough time for him to get riled up. And now he is more accustomed to it, he doesn't fight as much.

If only I could get him to stop fighting tooth brushing.

[JElaineB]

I think you have found your solution! :) DS hated his nails clipped for the longest time and until two weeks ago we had to restrain him with the screaming bloody murder going on. All of a sudden a week or so ago he just let us cut his nails like it is no big deal. I think he finally realized we really weren't hurting him (like we had been telling him all along) and he kind of figured out what we were doing and was ok with it. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel...it just might be a loooonnnngggg tunnel!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[mmaimp]

I give our oldest DS his own pair of closed clippers so he can "cut" too. This keeps his distracted enough for me to get the job done. I tell him to work on his toes when I cut his fingernails then vice versa.

Hope you find something that works.

[Laurelsmom2002]

We would do it outside for the distraction aspect, she would hold a male member of family hands- for some reason female wouldnt work. And cut fast!

[dr mom]

I clip while nursing, which admittedly is not an option for everyone, but has worked well for us. Once DS is latched on, he tends to stay pretty still and I can quickly clip his nails on the upper hand. When he switches sides, I get a shot at the other hand. Works for toenails, too. :)

[Moneypenny]

Ohhhh, I never thought of this. I will try it next time we need a clipping. I just hope she doesn't chomp down in protest. Thanks for the tip!
Susan
mama to my cutie pie, Avery
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif[/img][/url]

[mommd]

I did the same thing. Now that she has weaned though, it has gotten a lot harder. What I do now is put a book on the couch so she has something to look at or have DH entertain her. I get behind her, so she is between me and the couch and can't walk away so easily, and clip them. This usually works, but not always. Another thing that works is if they sleep in the car, to sit in back with them and clip them then.

[beckyr88]

This is what's working for me now: (and I realize my DD is older, though) I ask her to tell me about "everyone else who cuts their nails/brushes their teeth/washes their hair, etc, etc." She actually gets excited about it--she'll start naming her cousins and playgroup friends! It's cute. Hopefully you won't have this trouble still a year from now, but if you do, give this a try!!

[spunkybaby]

Like one of the PP, I trim DD"s nails when she's asleep in the carseat. I keep my clippers and nail scissors in the car so that I can take advantage of any time she falls asleep in the car seat. So most of the time I'm cutting her nails in the garage!

GL!

Not-so-new mom to spunky baby
March 2004

[kochh2]

I'm right there with you... only recently my DS has not liked havign his nails cut for longer than 2 seconds... But what does work a little better is those cuticle nippers, you can see much better, wich is often why it takes longer than itshould, lining those little nails up just right in the scissors or trimmers... just my 2 cts!!
GL!!
Holly

[alleyoop]

Try putting on a pretty/sparkly bracelet or necklace? This works really well for me.

[jamsmu]

It was awful in the beginning, and with reflux, clipping while bfing just wouldn't work. So we play the same Baby Einstien everytime. Monotonous, but its a routine. He knows as soon as Baby Galileo comes on, that we're trimming the nails. And he's ready for it. It took a few times to get him to calm down enough, but has worked for over a year now.