Cutting toenails

colliebabe · June 2013

Anyone else have an issue cutting their child's toenails? DD will be fine while cutting her fingernails (I usually use the TV to distract her or sing to her) but she will not let me go near her toenails. I've even tried bribing her with snacks but she hates it. She twists and turns and pulls away, making it impossible to cut them.

As a result, her toenails are ragged and some are too long. Any suggestions?

mrs.lizzieb · June 2013

DD can be the same way sometimes. When she's being particularly difficult, I'll put her in her highchair and cut her toenails that way. It restricts her a little more when she's flailing around than if she were just sitting on the floor or couch.

missyishere · June 2013

N doesn't mind it. How about while she's in the bathtub?

LatteLady5 · June 2013

N was like this for a couple of months. Nail cutting was SUCH an ordeal. Now she asks to get her nails painted and lets me cut them. I bribed with Annies Bunnies for awhile but they only went so far. I think (and hope for you) it's just a phase.

colliebabe · June 2013

PappsMcgee:
We're the same way. 90% of the time fingers are ok, but toes are off the table. I literally have to pin her down (which makes me feel horrible) but those talons need to be cut!

We do best if the TV is on, she has food and MH entertains her. It's an ordeal in our house.

Ordeal is the perfect word for it. I usually just give up because I can't get good positioning to cut the nail without cutting her skin.

Thanks ladies! I might try the highchair thing and see if that works. She already doesn't love the bath some days so I don't think the bath will work.

What it weird is that she will hold the clippers to her toe herself and say "cut toes?" but when I go to do it, she freaks.

mars37810 · June 2013

I usually put Pingu on for her because it is the only Tv show that she will sit there and watch while I trim her toenails and she doesn't pull away as much. Have you tried trimming your toenails or pretending to do so in front of her? I did that once with Darcy when she was being difficult and she actually asked me to trim her toenails when I was done (she sat down and pointed to her feet and the nail scissors). There are some weeks were it takes almost the whole week to get both feet done because she gets fed up after a few toes. Those days I just stop and try again the next day.

mars37810 · June 2013

colleenb262:
PappsMcgee:
We're the same way. 90% of the time fingers are ok, but toes are off the table. I literally have to pin her down (which makes me feel horrible) but those talons need to be cut!

We do best if the TV is on, she has food and MH entertains her. It's an ordeal in our house.

Ordeal is the perfect word for it. I usually just give up because I can't get good positioning to cut the nail without cutting her skin.
Thanks ladies! I might try the highchair thing and see if that works. She already doesn't love the bath some days so I don't think the bath will work.
What it weird is that she will hold the clippers to her toe herself and say "cut toes?" but when I go to do it, she freaks.

I usually sit her on an ottoman and kneel in front of her so that I can see her toes better but I'm pretty short so that height works for me. Maybe try her highchair or a dining room chair that has a good height to it.

It seems like their toenails grow really close to their skin and are so thin that they lay right against it so I usually run my fingernail between her toenail and the skin in order to get some space to avoid cutting her skin.

Shannon526 · June 2013

Colleen, I could've written this post word for word!

That being said, I have no advice for you because L refuses to let me go near her feet, let alone her toenails.

Snickerdoodle24 · June 2013

colleenb262:
What it weird is that she will hold the clippers to her toe herself and say "cut toes?" but when Inbsp;go to do it, she freaks.

This! For nail clipping and teeth brushing.

Edit: quoting colleen, not papps

ebp913 · June 2013

mrs.lizzieb:
DD can be the same way sometimes. When she's being particularly difficult, I'll put her in her highchair and cut her toenails that way. It restricts her a little more when she's flailing around than if she were just sitting on the floor or couch.

The highchair is great for us because she can't really see what I am doing and it restricts her a bit. Some TV helps too.

Nita2603 · June 2013

I jut cut Alastair's. DH had to sit on him. They were awful. So I am no help.

mamaZbo · June 2013

colleenb262:
Anyone else have an issue cutting their child's toenails? DD will be fine while cutting her fingernails (I usually use the TV to distract her or sing to her) but she will not let me go near her toenails. I've even tried bribing her with snacks but she hates it. She twists and turns and pulls away, making it impossible to cut them.
As a result, her toenails are ragged and some are too long. Any suggestions?

We are in the exact same situation...I get out her dolls and pretend to cut their nails, I let her watch me cut mine, we make a game out of it and after all that I am lucky to get one toe done. I just trim one at a time when they get out of control. Her hands are no problem.

Stewartandmaura · June 2013

PappsMcgee:
We're the same way. 90% of the time fingers are ok, but toes are off the table. I literally have to pin her down (which makes me feel horrible) but those talons need to be cut!

We do best if the TV is on, she has food and MH entertains her. It's an ordeal in our house.

I could have written this word for word.

I pin E down and usually do 2 or 3 toes at a time. For some reason, they don't seem to grow at the same rate.

joolz17 · June 2013

Oh my god I went through this last week! G is fine with fingers, but terrible with toes. I had to threaten to turn of the tv (which I had on to do his fingers). After turning it off a few times and trying again, he let me do it.

Cutting toenails

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