Tips for Trimming Baby’s Nails
Nate’s skin is so dry, it’s this horrible Canadian winter weather! He’s discovered his hair, so he holds onto it, scratching his face and head in the night when he wakes up.
I tried using baby nail scissors to trim his fingernails (I refuse to bite them) but they just wouldn’t grip the nail at all. I used a pair of baby nail clippers at a friend’s house but they left his nails square, so the tiny edges were sharp. Sometimes the nails sort of peel away, but trimming them was still a mystery to me when I decided to ask YOU what I should do.
I asked the Twitterverse, “Tips for cutting the nails of the wiggliest baby on the planet? Other than doing it while he sleeps? Anyone?”
You answered.
alotofnothing said, “bite them off. no, seriously” (I told you, I’m not doing that.)
Nicole013 said, “We do the “one parent holds, the other clips” technique. Since Darren is a better distraction than me, he does the holding.”
sara3isenough said, “I always offer marshmallows after but that won’t help you! Take him outside so he has something to look at? In the high chair”
velocibadgerGRL said, “I’m curious to see what ppl say. I wait for sleep with mine!”
jenbshaw said, “manicure scissors, and yes, while they sleep (or eat)”
S_cerevisiae said, “I go to YouTube & play The Wiggles Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She becomes mesmerized. It’s the only way I can trim them.”
In the end I waited until Nate was very calm, with his arms at his side, watching Sesame Street, and carefully used regular nail trimmers to get them as short as I could. Man, those little nails grow fast!
Thanks for the advice, everyone!
don't cut them – file them.
Good tips! When we cut our dog's nails, we give him little bits of cheese very slowly, the way dog trainers at dog shows do — I hold the cheese tightly in my fingers so he can't really get at it, and he's so busy trying that he doesn't notice my husband trimming his nails.
The first time we tried to cut Nico's nails, we got one finger done and my husband said, "Okay, where's the cheese?!"
Good tips! When we cut our dog's nails, we give him little bits of cheese very slowly, the way dog trainers at dog shows do — I hold the cheese tightly in my fingers so he can't really get at it, and he's so busy trying that he doesn't notice my husband trimming his nails.
The first time we tried to cut Nico's nails, we got one finger done and my husband said, "Okay, where's the cheese?!"
don't cut them – file them.
don't cut them – file them.
My sister tipped me off to sit him on the bathroom counter (or wherever you have a mirror) and have him face the mirror and watch himself & what you're doing. It's the only way Jack would let me do it, as he became completely mesmerized.
My sister tipped me off to sit him on the bathroom counter (or wherever you have a mirror) and have him face the mirror and watch himself & what you're doing. It's the only way Jack would let me do it, as he became completely mesmerized.
Biting them off totally works.
Just sayin….
You're a better woman than I am!
I literally, LITERALLY never cut my babies' finger nails for the last 2. I tried once on baby #3, and cut her, so I gave up. Dh tried, and cut her, so he gave up.
I suspect my mother may have trimmed them a few times, and ditto with baby #4, who we never even started cutting. But the truth is, when they get long enough, they'll just flake off.
If the baby's not hurting himself or you (and/or if a grandmother is attentive enough), you don't necessarily need to remove them at all.
Oh, also, once mine get to a certain age, they start asking me to do it for them. And they end up fascinated by the nail trimmers; not afraid at all!
Yeah, his flake off too. He sometimes scratches his head kind of hard, so that's why I'm trying to keep them short!
Ditto! I was going to suggest filing. With our first, my husband would bit them. POssibly the second as well, I don't remember. I think the nanny sometimes cut them – she did with this one, but cut her fingers a couple of times (not a big deal – I did it too, it's hard not to!!) so we changed to just filing them.
Filing takes a lot longer, I find. He is too wiggly to sit still that long!
I once took off the tiny tip of KayTar's pinky finger with the nail clippers.
It was terrible.
Isn't it a blessing that babies have no memory of their babyhood?!
Ew. Biting nails is just gross. Especially now that Nate has his hands all covered in goober these days. Nom nom nom. Hands in his mouth all the time.
Hey I'll have to remember that tip! Nate loves to look in the mirror. Thanks, Katie!
Aw, your husband sounds like a cutie.