So my DS is almost 4 mths old and we are still having to use mittens, i keep his nails chipped and filed the best i can but ever time he gets them off or if i take them off for more then a few mins he is tearing into his face and head again. Thursday when i picked him up from the sitters house she came to me all freaking out saying he was in the swing and she was making lunch for the kids and when she came to check on him he had his mittens off and his head was bleeding in about 7 different spots he clawed himself so bad in just a few mins. It wasnt bad but his head was red raw and a few scratches that brought alil blood. His mittens are getting to small also and socks just seem like they squeeze his fingers together and if i put a bigger pair on him he gets em off. How long did you leave mittens on ur babies? My first born never had to use them... My son doesnt seem to have any dry skin issues so i dont think he's itching i just dont think he has mastered the hand control thing yet. Any advice
Thanks
K.
I think socks should work if you find ones that are long enough. Try the triple fold ones from old navy, those are the only ones my son didn't pull off of his feet because they were long enough on his leg that he couldn't get them off. Good luck!
I think he needs to have the mitten off. At this age, he should be reaching
for toys which he cannot do with mittens on. He will get used to having
them off. He needs to be able to move his fingers freely. Four kids, I have
never used them. Just cut his nails often.
honestly, we used socks when she was older and needed them.
I would lose the mittens and socks. He needs to learn that clawing at his face and head hurts. Eventually he will stop doing it. I always filed along the top of the tip of the nail to really smooth the edges.
I think he has mastered the hand control thing, and that's why he takes them off ; ) Try the longer socks that will come up to his elbow or even past it, if the weather permits a long-sleeved top or sleeper, he'll have to work doubly hard to get them off. This worked with my guy just fine.
we used baby socks with the more gather ankle parts, their fingers can grasp and they dont get them off as easy, but you do have to give him/her time out of them. All three of my kids were clawers, and you can see in my oldest's pictures as a baby there was rarely a picture she had with out a big gouge out of the corners of her eyes, and nose. That was the only time I tried those dumb mittens and they sucked. After that it was sock for all my kids and they were scratch free. Clipping is the best but even a tiny ragged nail and they have cut themselves open wide.
I cut the nails with baby sissors a couple of times a week. Sometimes she still claws herself (and us). We didn't have luck with the mittens and I never used them and at that age they like to explore and try to pick things up with their hands.
I suggest you still swaddle, with a miracle blanket you can safely swaddle and have him in a swing. Try a coat of clear polish - a good brand of top coat like Orly or OPI too it might help to soften the edges of the nails.
