Weird question, but just wondering what is an appropriate age for a child to start cutting their own nails (fingers and toes)?
DS will be 11 in seven weeks' time and still insists on me doing it for him. I think it's time he had a go at doing it himself, but he's got a bit of a phobia about knives and scissors ever since an unfortunate incident in a Year 4 cookery class, and HATES having his toenails cut especially, always saying I'm 'cutting him' when I'm obviously not (!!), it's just the point of the scissors digging slightly into the flesh at the corners.
I've tried to suggest that if he did it himself (with my supervision, at least at first) he'd find it less distressing because he'd be in control of where the scissors went, the amount of pressure etc, but he just point blank refuses. He won't even attempt his fingernails.
So far I haven't pushed but just mention it occasionally, but he's going to have to do it at some point and I don't know how to convince him! Should I try harder and insist he learns how to do it, or just wait until he naturally reaches a point where he feels too 'teenage' for me to be doing such a thing for him, and takes the initiative himself? Can't help feeling this will be years away though!
I've tried hard to remember how old I was when I started doing it, but have drawn a blank, and anyone else I've asked seems to have the same issue!
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Nail cutting
9 replies
turquoise50 · 30/04/2020 09:47
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