Over the course of the past year and a half, the way I trim my baby’s fingernails as evolved quite a bit. Who would have ever thought a task so simple could become such a big deal, especially when the nails in question are so very small.
When we first brought him home, his nails were soft and thin. They were so delicate, they reminded me of tissue paper. They were a little long, but I discovered that the excess would simply peel off with little effort. We did not need clippers or a file at first; all I needed to do was gently scrape my nail over the edge of his.
After a short time, his nails grew harder and his fingers got bigger. It’s amazing how quickly those hands and feet grow in the beginning. They were still too small for clippers, so I used a tiny, soft nail file. As long as I filed every few days, it was easy to keep up with.
By the time he was a few months old, he was ready for the clippers, but he would not cooperate. I was afraid of clipping his fingers instead of his nails while he squirmed. I had heard of mothers biting their baby’s nails, and at first I thought, “that is weird,” but then I realized it was a great temporary solution. I would rather look strange than have him scratch himself all the time. So, while he nursed, I slipped one little finger at a time between my lips, and ever so gently nibbled at a nail to trim it down to a nice short length. I know it sounds crazy, but it worked wonders, and somehow biting your baby’s nails feels no different from biting your own. He was more interested in eating, so he didn’t even notice what I was doing.
Eventually, he got to the age where I could distract him with the TV while I clipped his nails with the clippers. Sometimes he would try to grab the clippers, but if I had an entertaining kids program on TV, it would mesmerize him long enough to get those nails clipped without a fuss. The best distraction I found was a clip of “Mahna Mahna” performed by the Muppets on YouTube.
After he turned a year old, he started noticing what I was doing, even if I had the TV on. He kept trying to grab the clippers and put them in his mouth. Obviously, I couldn’t let him do that, but I knew I had to let him satisfy his curiosity. I let him hold the clippers and inspect them a few times (without putting them in his mouth). Then, I let him watch while I clipped my own nails. I tried to make it seem like a game. Believe it or not, after that he would let me clip his fingernails while he watched me. He is intrigued by watching the nails fly off his fingers. I still have to work quickly because he is a toddler, but I am happy to say that he at least allows me to hold his hand still and clip the nail without jerking his hand away.