Any Advice on How to Trim an Active 2 Year Old's Nails?

Ugh, this is a battle we have had since my son was an infant and we finally overcame it. I used to trim while he was asleep but that started getting old. Soooo, I started by doing my nails in front of him. I'd clip my nails and say in a high pitched voice, "clip, clip, clip" then wiggle my toes and say "ah, that feels better". This piqued his interest and he now asks for clip, clip and we happily clip his finger and toe nails. 2 things to note: 1. sometimes we just get fingers or we just get toes, when he's done, I'm done. 2. I line up the clipper with the nail and let him "help me" putting his hand on mine while we clip.

Good luck! It's always something isn't it!? :)

T

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We play a game of "Wiggle! Freeze!" in the tub. I have him sit with his back to me in the tub and hold up one hand so I can trim his nails - I call Wiggle and he wiggles like mad until I say Freeze - then he has to Freeze while I cut 1 nail then it's Wiggle time again. ETc, ETc. you get the idea. Practice playing Dance/ Freeze so he gets to understand the game. YO GABBA GABBA has a song that will teach him in about 30 seconds. Plus the tub water softens his nails so they trim easier!

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I always did my kids nails while they were sleeping!

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Duct tape? JK!!! Part of it is you have trained him to believe that it should be a struggle. Try to find a time when you two can sit quietly, like after his nightly bath. Pull out the trimmers and make sure that he is sitting with you and do YOUR nails. Then try to do his but don't make it a battle. Take one of his fingers with a long nail and gently scratch it against your skin and say "OUCH!", then take it and rub it against his own leg. Do the same thing AFTER you have shortened it and go "AHHH!!!". He will learn, be patient. =)

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Hi G.,
I remember those days!! Both my kids hated to have their nails trimmed. It was an awful struggle! I finally came up with an idea that worked perfectly -- cut one nail a day. I did it every morning after getting them dressed. It was part of the morning routine, after combing hair. It was so much easier, because they got used to it and we only did one nail, so it wasn't a big struggle. Eventually it didn't phase them and we were able to go back to doing all the nails at the same time when needed. The are 6 and 8 now, and it's a breeze!
Good luck!
A.

I gave up on the trimming battle a few months ago. I just touch up my daughters finger and toenails when she is passed out cold.
That way I know I'm doing a really good job, and I know she won't get hurt by all her flailing.
I figure she will grow out of it soon enough, and then we can do it during the day again. :)

Hi G.,

This is funny as it reminds me of those days. I have 3 kids and for 2 of them, I had to clip their nails while they were asleep. They never woke up if they were asleep for a long while first. Good luck!

Outsource the trimming: I had friends trim my son's nails because he sat still for them. After a couple of months, I was able to do it without protest.

My daughter wiggles and squirms a lot. This is a team effort between my husband and I. He will distract her with something: a book, a toy, his iPod Touch, whatever works. Just long enough for me to trim her nails. I also don't worry about where the nails fall. In the beginning I tried to trim them over tissue or a garbage can. But now I just let the nails fall on the couch or carpet and just vacuum as soon as I am done.

Do it when he is asleep. Also tell him girls and people think long nails (and dirty ears) are icky! My son is 16 now and keeps his nails & ears so nice.
You could tell him that he can have the video as soon as his nails are trimmed...NOT before and during. Always a GREAT idea to do the chores first: "can't have fun til the work's all done." THIS matters at all ages.

I used to trim my kids nails right after bath, jammies and teeth brushing, then we'd sit in the rocker and rock and I'd trim their nails while daddy read a story. And on those occasions where they just were not having it ... sleeping babies don't fight you on anything LOL. Be it naptime or bedtime.

actually, do it IN the tub. The water makes them super easy to come off, they practically peel away, plus he'll be distracted by the bubbles or whatever toy he's got. No mess either, the nails can wash down the drain.

I outlined my son's hands and feet and drew little lines for the nails. Each time I clipped a nail, we colored in the corresponding nail on the paper. When all twenty were done (it took a few days) he got to invite grandma and grandpa to go to the zoo. We only had to do this once and trimming nails got much easier, but we made it fun and rewarding.

Is there a chance you can get it done while he's asleep? If he sleeps soundly enough that he won't wake up, you might try just doing one hand or foot at a time and get it done over several naptimes.

Hi G.,

I trim my one year old's nails while he is sleeping... I don't know if that is an option for you.

Good Luck!

-S.

I also do it while he is asleep. Works great! Good luck!

G.,

I suggest you wait until your little one falls asleep to cut his nails. This will allow you to cut them without him moving around too much. As he gets older, you will be able to cut his nails while he's awake, but for now it will be easier when he's asleep. I have two girls, a one year old and a daughter who is nearly three. The baby I always cut her nails while she's asleep and for my older daughter, I have just recently started cutting her nails while she's awake. I hope this helps.
- T.

Try this: GLASS nail file (it has to be made out of glass) when he is asleep or after a bath (the water softens the nails). That is what I use on my infant. It can be done when sleeping, is non-invasive (no risk of clipping the child and is not like normal files that file like sand paper. The glass nail files like soft paper.) and does not wake them up as it is not an abrasive file.

We sit outside and do the this little piggy game with each finger or toe as I cut and change up the piggies for cars, dogs, cats, etc. to keep it interesting and cut as fast as possible. I also found by the age or 2 or so the baby clippers were too small and went to a small or travel adult clipper and it was a lot faster in less snips. Good luck.

My child is one and can't sit still either-- I use a small pair of nose hair scissors. They are great because they have the rounded tips, but are sharp and easily manipulated. With them I can work much faster than when using clippers-- and with much less worry about mistakes!

Trim them while he is sleeping.

try to trim them when he is asleep. What I do with my son is show him that I trim mine and I make a loud noise everytime i clip a piece of nail just for fun. We call it popin cause we say pop everytime. good luck

My advice is to wait until he is asleep and then do it. Unless he is a very light sleeper, this is an effective way to get it done!

I usually do it on Saturday mornings right after breakfast while he's still in his highchair and distracted by tv. Sometimes I do nails and toes, but most of the time I just do nails. I do toes every other week. I isn't easy, but I've learned to just go with the flow and if it becomes a struggle I try to entice him with "let's get this done so we can go outside to play." It usually works out fine, but there are times I just get one hand done and do the other after the next meal.

I don't mean to be harsh, but Be The MOM. Be firm and tell him to sit down and hold still. He can cry all he wants, but he has to hold still. If he disobeys, then discipline, either a time out or take away something. Do it once a week at the same time and he will get used to it. Making him sit down and hold still is not inflicting any pain on him and will remind him that you are in control, not him.

We had the same problem around the 2 year mark. I'd trim them on the weekend when I could put him in the car seat and then sit next to him and trim while my husband drove. While not perfect each time, definitely helped to get the long scratchy nails shorter. Good luck. (while sleeping didn't work for him, as he'd wake up easily)

Trim them when he is sleeping

Do it while he's sleeping.

I used to have the same problem with my daughter. I would cut them when she was sleeping.

Once they fall asleep! My son is crazy about his nails being cut, wants to do it himself, which he can't of course. So he gets mad and wont let me do it. Once he is asleep I can do it, if he is on his hand it might take a few nights. One hand at a time or if he starts to wake up stop and start again the next night. Good luck!

Hi G.
You could trim them while he is sleeping. I used to do that with my boys. I would wait until they were sound asleep and then, trim the nails that needed to be done.
Now, I just have them sit and it gets done after their shower, but they are now 7 & 11, so doing it while they sleep is a little bit more difficult.
I hope this helps.

My second child is a boy and we go back and forth on doing ok with the nail cutting. Cian wants to cut his nails himself instead of me doing it. Try cutting your sons nails when he is asleep. I try to remember to do so when Cian falls asleep in the car for nap time. It's much harder to do at night because I don't want to turn a light on at night and wake him up. Good luck with the nail cutting.

I would always rock my little ones to sleep in the rocker-recliner, trim their nails while they slept on my lap, then tuck them into bed once the deed was done. Good luck!

Yes, I trim our kids while there sleeping. That is the only way...:)