FURIOUS with toddler tantrum about having nails cut!

[morerogermore]

I've just wrestled my 2 year old round the floor trying to cut her nails and she screamed like I was trying to cut her toes off. I'm so angry about this now. She's never let me do it and so I always have to file them, which she still hates. But she looks like she's almost getting ingrowing toenails! Nothing will coerce her - I've tried everything. I just had to wrap her in a blanket and try to get a few.

I feel so angry! She'll end up in the Drs with ingrowing toenails at this rate.

Please help me.

I wouldn't recommend letting toddler tantrums affect you too much - especially letting them make you angry. Toddlers aren't being deliberately naughty, they are just reacting to their feelings about the situation in hand, and their lack of ability to control themselves yet. My DS is 2, and if I got upset about his tantrums I'd be wound up like a spring by the end of the day. It would be horrible!

Regarding toenails, I think all toddlers hate having them done. I do one of mine, one of his. It helps, but he still cries! The dog is no better though - scary stuff having someone else with a sharp implement near your toes!!

Ok, thanks everyone. I'm going to try leaving her nails a bit longer and seeing if they snap off. Or getting DH to do it.

Does she really cry Frusso?

I can't cope with the idea of this carrying on until she's 6!!

What did our ancient cave-dwelling ancestors do?

I agree with not trying to do them all at once, as well. I've done maybe one hand, or one foot, and then had to leave it for another week day before can get to the next hand/foot.

FWIW long toenails doesn't cause ingrown toenails. Ingrown toenails are usually caused by cutting nails too short or at an awkward angle. They're most common in teenage boys when they start to cut their nails themselves.

...and that's all the ingrown toenail trivia I know!

I understand what you mean by furious, it's just frustration, you aren't actually furious. Frustrated more like. Sympathy, small children can drive even the most perfect zen mother to distraction at times.

My trick, I do her toenails when she is in her high chair (although she's much younger so that might not work for you). Try using every bribe in the book, so here that's favourite food, (perfect mothers look away now) in front of the TV. I've turned it into a game, so I clip one of her nails, then one of mine, and go over board with excitement at what a brilliant game it is. Some days she gets really cross with me, others she giggles, and plays along. On cross days I don't push it. It's best not to start a battle.

My DS didn't like it (mainly cos I caught his finger once) but then a nanny friend recommended Scissorman scissors which are brilliant and come in a set with clippers too. It didn't change overnight, but it was better than with the blunt JL ones I'd been using.

Sorry you're having a bad day .

I'm another one that does it while DS1 (2.5yo) is asleep. As a hot tip, the deepest stretch of sleep is actually between twenty and forty minutes after they've initially fallen asleep. Time the snipping for then, and you're highly unlikely to get kicked or wake her up.

I call it 'the fingernail fairy'. I feel like I should be leaving a pound under his pillow.

I also show him the clippers when he's in the bath and very occasionally he'll offer me one or two fingers or toes to do. I don't push it if he won't let me do any more, and praise massively for the ones he does let me do,so hopefully we're inching towards conscious grooming.

DS (2.1) is a pain about toe nails - I leave him in bed longer so he's really hungry, strap into high chair, switch on peppa pig and give him a bread stick. works every time.

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I can't believe some of you can actually cut your cd nails when they are asleep!!! My DS is such a light sleeper! Always has been. I stay well out of the room once he is asleep.

slightly older dd (7) developed irrational fear of nail cutting ..in the end I found putting on meditation music, which I found on you tube, and doing lots of relaxing stroking face arms, legs and down to hands, nails ( just as though you were in yoga class) time and saying stuff like 'let your worries wash away in to the ocean etc.' then letting her feel the nail scissors and finally she allowed me to cut them. Yes it took nearly an hour the first time but now she is calm and just lets me cut them straight away. It required patience but was better than the build up to screaming (those criticising clearly have not had this full on battle with their children) and complete refusal. Not sure this approach would work on a toddler though ...