When is it ok to paint a 2 yr olds finger nails?

[fairyteepee]

My 2 and a half year old daughter keeps asking me to paint her nails having seen mine painted. My gut says she is too young but there are lots of little girls at her playgroup the same age who have theres done.

Is there any harm in it?

Haven't read the whole thread, but I think it depends on the context. If you're painting her nails as part of a general campaign to make her realise that it's important for her to be 'pretty', then no. But that doesn't sound like it's the case with you.

I occasionally paint my toe nails, and often both DD (aged 4) and DS (aged 3) ask to have theirs done too, and I let them. I don't paint the nails on the fingers/thumbs that they suck because I don't want the chemicals in their mouths. As it happens, DS is more interested in having painted nails - DD got bored with the nail varnish after a few hours and was annoyed that it wouldn't come off (and I wouldn't remove it because the remover was yet more chemicals!). TBH having a child of each sex makes this sort of thing easier because you can show them that things like nail paint are not just for girls!

I painted DD's nails from the later toddler years for fun on special occasions. A bit like face painting or spiderman temporary tattoos.

What monster owl said.

If you're introducing her to a regime of painted nails, hair removal, and fake tan in order to conform to society's idea that girls are worthless if they're not pretty and groomed, then bad idea.

I'm not even keen on the idea of beauty treatments being "mother daughter bonding". How on earth do boys bond with their parents if they don't want to get their nails done?

If it's because you've got the varnish hanging around and are bored and your child wants to, why not? Mine currently have a different shade on each nail, ranging from black, through blue, goth purple and pillar box red. It's fun.

I do my 2.7 year olds occasionally, if she sees me doing mine she usually wants hers doing. I have a couple of clear sparkly bottles for young toes. Will have a look out for some special kids stuff though, the last bottle I saw of that type was by Tinkerbell and it was mine many years ago!

My dd was obsessed with having hers done from 2.5, I don't do mine but she watches other women all the time and it's one of her favourite treats.

I think make-up is for teens upwards (unless for some kind of show/dance performance etc or messing about playing dress-up). Badly-done nails make you look unkempt, so you would have to keep redoing it on the average active child.

My DS (3) has red fingernails and glittery blue toenails atm courtesy of my dd.(17)

Whenever YOU see fit.

It's just a bit of fun; no one is daft enough to use remover on tinies. I think little painted toenails look cute. not so keen on fingernails, mainly because it gets damaged easily and looks a sight, but ok if you use a child's one that comes off quickly.

Ive been painting my sons nails since be was younger than 2.

I see his female friends with painted nails, its never crossed my mind that its ok for him but not for them.

I draw the line at bright red though, turquiose on the toes, gold on the fingers.

My two year old niece loves me. I am her favourite auntie. This is only because at christmas when I was painting my toenails with gold glitter polish I did hers too. She thought it was amazing. Its just fun and pretty for them.

I think it's fine. But on a 2 yo only light pink or glitter.

My daughter is 19 months and I just painted her toes was wondering if it’s okay to paint her fingers as well although she does still suck her thumbs and sometimes puts her other fingers in her mouth

This thread is 10 years old lovey!

Personally, i only started painting my toddlers fingers after they were reliably NOT putting fingers in their mouth. This ws probably around 2 years old - before this i just stuck to toes.

I was using the peel-off kids one though.

I apologize I didn’t know it was that old lol I just looked it up online and found this thread and okay I will look into kids safe polish for her hands thank you

No apologies needed! Just thought I'd let you know incase you didn't get many replies or people were rude ♥️

My son loves the disney princess nail varnish and they smell like bubblegum x