Urgent help needed with nail cutting

[foxinsocks]

My 2 and a half year old son will not let me cut his nails. Tonight it took around 30 mins to hold him down to cut just his toenails! And he never once stopped wriggling or howling. I can't let his finger nails get long as he has eczema. His older sister sits like an angel so its not as though he is copying her example. I was nearly in tears tonight because it is SO tempting to just leave them to get long but I know I can't and its so frustrating.
Has ANYONE got any tips on how to make this any easier?

Dd (3 in june) is the same. Sometimes doing "This little piggy.." helps. Or singing "Tommy Thumb, where are you....etc" and as each finger pops up, cutting that nail.
People say cut their nails while they are asleep, but dd is a light sleeper, so I don't dare!

Does he sleep deeply enough to do them then? Sometimes that works.

Worth a shot, but must apologize in advance if it wasn't a good idea.

oh that's a good idea. I had never thought of cutting them in his sleep! He sucks his thumb but I could probably manage the others. Perhaps I could cut his hair at the same time as that's his other most wriggly time!

I tried the songs and that didn't work. All I got was a 'don't hurt my tommy thumb' then big wail as if his nails were all little people that were being cut!!

Thanks both of you for you help

or even your help

I do ds1's in his sleep. Works a treat.

we used to do it while ds was sleeping and then dh invented all sorts of stories about knights and castles and god knows what and in the end i gave up with the whole palava and we just do it religiously infront of the tv. He doesnt create so long as ceebeebies is on!!! and its so much less hassle.

I would do it in front of the TV but he still doesn't really 'watch' tv. He sits still for about 2 minutes then gets bored of it and wanders around. He's very much a 'don't sit down, run till I'm exhausted' type child. Although, he does sleep like an angel because of that. Thanks for the thought though.

P.S. have already sneaked upstairs and cut a few finger nails

this is how i do it nowadays (used to cut nails whilst dd watching tv, but she doeasn't watch much tv anymore, also sometimes when she was asleep in her buggy but this doesn't happen very often of lately)-dd 2 1/2. she only goes on her changing mat after her evening bath, so i hide some interesting things for her to play with whilst i cut her toenails: make-up stuff and a small handbag mirror, taht sort of things. she can't really break them and it's something she's not allowed to play with normally but likes to look at and touch. so these objects really make her forget about anything else. also try things that are kept in small boxes (the size of medicine boxes but obviously make sure he won't actually get to the tablet. there must be something small in your house, that he can play with safely for 1/2 minute and really captivates his attention. if it's something really new, you should be able to cut his hand nails with this system . or try offering a drink of something really nice with a straw and cut his nails then. good lucK!

My 19 month old acts as though I'm trying to amputate her toes when I do hers, she gets incredibly upset. I can't do them while she's asleep as she'd wake like a shot and be doubly freaked out so I do have to resort to force unfortunately. But with her fingernails, she's a real hygiene fanatic so I let her get them really dirty then say 'ooh, yuck, mummy better get her scissors out' and she's so glad to get rid of the dirty bits she sits and watches as I cut them.

I don't think you should set out to try to all of them at once. Try just doing one and giving a nice treat and let him look at the clippings as its amazing what they find interesting sometimes! Maybe the next day try another one or even two. I make a game of it with my son and instead of getting cross or upset (not easy) just laugh and say "come on....., let's have the next one" also try doing it in the bath. I know people have to do whatever they can but I think doing it in their sleep is a mistake in the long term as you're not dealing with the problem. If it works though maybe this is what to do first and then try just one when he's awake.