4 yr old wont let me cut his nails HELP!!!?

Question

my 4 yr old son wont let me cut his nails i have tried everything when he is asleep and all what can i do without haveing to hold him down. but his nails are too long and he cut his sister with them today and im stumped the doctor wont do it the school nurse wont help.

Answer 1

bit them off

Answer 2

Not to be rude, but who's the parent? Be assertive, tell him this is the way things will be, and cut his nails.

Answer 3

I have the same problem with my 3 year old. I will either do his older brothers nails first as he watches and then he is excited to do it, or I just go slowly and explain to him what I am doing... singing songs also helps... Just pull his mind away from what is going on. When all else fails, ya just gotta hold him down and do it. Hard I know.

Answer 4

Lol I had the same problem I would wait until he was asleep..

Maybe you could reward him?! for letting you do it like a big boy treat?!?

Answer 5

bribe him. tell him you'll take him to the park or give him a surprise if he lets you cut his nails. hope this helps!

Answer 6

My 4yr old has the same problem. I sit him in my lap and we watch his latest favorite video & share a little hug time while my wife clips. Since we started doing it this way, he's dealing with it better.

Answer 7

SPANK him and tell him if he does not stop h**l get another

Answer 8

Give him his favorite snack like cookies,candy,chips whatever he doesnt get all the time but he loves. I one hand he will be eating the snack and the other cut his nails.

Answer 9

Give your son choices. It could be something like "would you like to have your nails cut in the living room or in the bathroom?" or "would you like mommy to cut your nails, or daddy cut your nails?"  "Would you like to eat a popsicle or a cookie while I cut your nails?" This way, either choice  he makes, he's getting his nails cut.

Let him watch you cut your own nails. Talk him through what you're going to do.

Answer 10

My son was terrified of nail clippers and tweezers. At times I did have to hold him down and just get it done. I started letting him try to do it himself with the little baby clippers and eventually he realized there was nothing to be afraid of. You can also try filing them instead of cutting them. Sometimes I clip one or two fingernails a day if that was all he let me do. GL

Answer 11

I totally feel for you! My three and a half year old is the exact same way. You would think we're cutting his fingers off the way he yells and his nails get so long we call them his 'claws'. Same exact problem, he scratches everyone up. We either hold him down and 'torture him' by cutting his nails or we do it when he's sleeping. Does you son wake up if you cut his nails in his sleep? Anyway, I wish I had a solution but I can only emphathize! I supposed you could try pure bribery by offering him a treat if he lets you cut his nails. Good luck!

Answer 12

Why should the doctor cut your son's nails and why should the school nurse help.  You set him down you TELL him he is going to have his nails cut and you will NOT take any fighting over it.  Then if you have to you hold him down to do it and put him in time out after.  Or are YOU not the parent here?

Answer 13

At age 4 his motor skills are probably still a bit shaky, but you can try taking the infant clippers and teaching him how to cut his own nails (closely watched and assisted by a parent, of course). If you don't feel comfortable with that then let him see and learn how the clippers work.  If you can let him try and clip your nail to see that it doesn't hurt you.  

Don't get angry with your doc or his school nurse - clipping nails is actually considered a "minor surgical" procedure in some places and can not simply be done by doctors or nurses.

Answer 14

I had the same prob and I told my son that if he didn't let me cut them I had to take him to the doctor to get a shot! Worked like a dream!

Answer 15

Just do it gently when he's sleeping and be careful.

Answer 16

Ok, I'll probably catch some c**p for this, but this is what I do with my daughter.  I tell her that I am going to cut her nails and every time it hurts, she can hit me.  But I tell her she has to wait until I am done with that hand/foot before she can hit me.  I explain that this is the only time it's ok to hit anyone.  But if it hurts that bad, then I will let her hurt me too.  

Then when I am done with that hand or foot, she has a number of times that she thinks hurt (I only allow one hit for each finger or toe) and I let her punch my arm.  Then I act all dramatic like it hurts so bad (no fake crying, but just like oooohhhh).  She giggles cause she thinks it's funny, then it's a game!

Good luck!

Answer 17

Be the parent. Smack his butt one good time if he fights it. Sit him down and be stern with him. Say in a serious voice "I am going to cute your nails. You need to sit you butt right here and let me do it" and if he still fights it, spank him again. Tell him if he keeps moving you might accidently cut his skin instead of the nail and it will really hurt him-

Answer 18

Try to tell him a corny story. Like there is a witch who eats kids with really long nails. Since he is 4 years old, it is much easier for them to fall for those stories.

Answer 19

The best thing i've found from experience with my 3 year old, is to make things that they don't want to do into GAMES!!!

like when it comes to picking up his toys, we RACE to pick them up.  The natural want to win is the reason that one works.

or eating dinner, we'll race with that too.  like we both hold a fork with food on it, and I let him count to three.  Then we both try and eat as fast as possible.

just make things interesting, and they won't see it as a bad thing anymore.

Answer 20

At four my daughter could cut her own nails with a nail clipper. Inform him that he will either clip his own nails or he will sit in a chair until he lets you do it.