OT: Question for experienced moms!!

TamTastic

My 20 month old son is suddenly terrified of getting his hair or his nails cut. It has only been the last couple of times I have tried to cut both that he has an issue. Before, it was NO problem. I haven't nicked him or anything, so he isn't afraid of pain.

I just tried to cut his hair and he was screaming in terror!! And the last time I tried to trim his nails he did the same thing. What is it? Maybe seeing it happen scares him? Like seeing the nail clippers clip off his nail..maybe it appears evil?? LOL! I don't know! I am not really trying to make light of it..but LOL! I really have NO idea what to do! He's going to end up with hair down to his butt and long nails if I don't get to the bottom of it! Because he won't hold still either and I am afraid of cutting him bad when I do his hair. I managed to use the clippers and got enough off..but it isn't a great job. SIGH!

What to do!

Thanks!
Tam

TamTastic

My 20 month old son is suddenly terrified of getting his hair or his nails cut. It has only been the last couple of times I have tried to cut both that he has an issue. Before, it was NO problem. I haven't nicked him or anything, so he isn't afraid of pain.

I just tried to cut his hair and he was screaming in terror!! And the last time I tried to trim his nails he did the same thing. What is it? Maybe seeing it happen scares him? Like seeing the nail clippers clip off his nail..maybe it appears evil?? LOL! I don't know! I am not really trying to make light of it..but LOL! I really have NO idea what to do! He's going to end up with hair down to his butt and long nails if I don't get to the bottom of it! Because he won't hold still either and I am afraid of cutting him bad when I do his hair. I managed to use the clippers and got enough off..but it isn't a great job. SIGH!

What to do!

Thanks!
Tam

sgtinvincible

The prospect of seeing you coming at me with sharp objects is a horrific image......

jojo52610

LOL - don't know about the hair -

but my son is 12 and even today - he carries on like a crazy child when I cut his toenails and fingernails.

I wait till he's sleeping and snip snip - cut his nails -never even knows it's happening.


Have you tried one of those hair cutting places that cater to just kids - that may help.

Good luck

sheristeele

Kids go through phases... he will come out of it.. Trim his nails while he sleeps.. and hair.. well LOL let it grow for a month or so and try again. From a mom of 3

troyjill44

My son screamed in horror every time his hair was cut, since his first cut until about age 3. I dreaded our trips to the salon! He is 5 now and has outgrown that awful phase. Unfortunately I did not find any tricks that helped. One thing to keep in mind, maybe to understand what is going on a little more-some children and even adults-happen to experience sensations a little more acutely than others. So for us, a brush against the skin is no big deal, but for this group of people, they are extremely hypersensitive to certain sensations. Could be sound, touch, taste...It's possible that your child is experiencing the haircut a little different than us. That's what I chalked up my experience to.

Hang in there, my guess is it won't last forever. Good luck!

TamTastic

The prospect of seeing you coming at me with sharp objects is a horrific image......

Hush you! Since when are you an experienced mom??? :huh:

sculley

It could be just a phase, my son went through the same thing and is still alittle aggravated when he gets his hair cut. One phase Rion had was being scared of the vacuum.

Sometimes I will bring his dvd player to the barber and let him watch it, it takes his mind off of whats going on. So find something he likes that might be able to take his mind off of it.

SkinnyMama

My 20 month old son is suddenly terrified of getting his hair or his nails cut. It has only been the last couple of times I have tried to cut both that he has an issue. Before, it was NO problem. I haven't nicked him or anything, so he isn't afraid of pain.

I just tried to cut his hair and he was screaming in terror!! And the last time I tried to trim his nails he did the same thing. What is it? Maybe seeing it happen scares him? Like seeing the nail clippers clip off his nail..maybe it appears evil?? LOL! I don't know! I am not really trying to make light of it..but LOL! I really have NO idea what to do! He's going to end up with hair down to his butt and long nails if I don't get to the bottom of it! Because he won't hold still either and I am afraid of cutting him bad when I do his hair. I managed to use the clippers and got enough off..but it isn't a great job. SIGH!

What to do!

Thanks!
Tam

I have two girls, 3 1/2 and 23 mo. I cut both their hair and nails and I do it by straping them in the booster seat in front of a movie and give them a popsicle. Without all the extra special stuff they freak out too! I think it is more of a power struggle than anything. They know that you want them to hold still and they get mad. Now my kids do not get to watch movies and have popsicles very often so they find all that a very special treat. So I would figure out something that is a special treat that will occupy his attention and his hands that he will want more than anything! I usually get the movie on and then tell them that they can have the popsicle if they let me trim their nails first. Good Luck! These battles can be tough, it is so hard to see them so freaked out and know that you still need to do what you need to do:-)

TamTastic

Thanks everyone! (except of course for J!)...

Hopefully he gets over this phase because before he could care less if I cut his har! Sigh! Poor guy!

MontanaGirl

I think all kids go through the "scared of hair cuts and/or nail trims" phase. It's hard on us moms though!! Does he have a favorite toy or maybe short movie you can distract him with while you snip?? But not something that gets him TOO excited lol!! Other than that, just time and patience. Good luck! - Oh and the clipping while they're asleep is a life saver - my youngest always woke up though. :grumble: They usually don't!

Skittles6617

Probably just a phase because at that age they are becoming so much more aware of things around them. I clip my daughter's right when she gets out of the bathtub becuase they are softer. Even though I was not nicking her or anything, it was hurting her because her skin was dry. (she did have eczema) but it is a thought. Have you tried giving him a sucker to focus on while you are cutting his hair?

KrisKabob

Isn't that strange??? My son all of a sudden doesn't like getting his nails cut either! I think I'm gonna have to do the sleep cutting thing.

AS far as his hair goes... never liked it! UNTIL... his DADDY cut it! Yep, that's right! We took him to one of those places with all the special lights, tvs, etc... he hated it! But last week Daddy cut his hair and wa-la!!! No problem at all! Weird!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

TamTastic

Isn't that strange??? My son all of a sudden doesn't like getting his nails cut either! I think I'm gonna have to do the sleep cutting thing.

AS far as his hair goes... never liked it! UNTIL... his DADDY cut it! Yep, that's right! We took him to one of those places with all the special lights, tvs, etc... he hated it! But last week Daddy cut his hair and wa-la!!! No problem at all! Weird!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

LOL! Yeah, he didn't mind it at first. I mean he didn't LOVE it....but it was more of an annoyance than anything. We went to Snip-Its, a specialty place for his first haircut....but I have done it since. He has good hair, so even if I mess up, it just adds to the cool dudeness! :laugh:

It's just so weird that he suddenly doesn't like it.

TamTastic

By the way....
<

---

That's his new hair! hehehehe!

My little Linus! How funny, he was my favorite Peanuts character and now I have my own little Linus with his blanket and sucking his thumb!!! hehe Funny!

pmkelly409

Thanks everyone! (except of course for J!)...

Hopefully he gets over this phase because before he could care less if I cut his har! Sigh! Poor guy!

all kids go through it - welcome to one of the great joys of parenting....we started taking my boys to a barber because daddy could not cut their hair anymore. they still wiggled but after three or four trips to the barber they got the hang of it - and bribing them with lollipops doesn't hurt. one thing we learned was that they hated the vibration and sound of the clippers, so we asked the barber to use scissors instead and that definitely helped.

Nails are still a struggle - don't know what it is that they hate so much but hunker down for years of that battle....just find the distraction that works best for your little guy and do it fast!!!

tamifanny

Been there...done that...I would have to agree with cutting nails while he's asleep.:bigsmile: No struggles for you or him

Also, for the hair cutting...my sister went through the screaming meme hair thing with her boys and they to this day they are long haired hippies because she didn't want to "traumitize them" oh boo hoo people think they're girls at ages 10 & 12 yrs old:sick:

My son is 16 now but when he was 2 I would hold him in a leg lock (indian style on my part) and have sis talk or read to him while I would carefully snip a little here & there. I would tell him "just one more minute...one more minute".

Now I still cut his hair & he asks "are you done yet". while watching a movie. OMG does it ever end?:yawn: :yawn: :yawn:

You just have to deal with what ever God gives you. Much luck to you :flowerforyou:

smillermom

Hi! I have 3 grown children and not one of them was not terrible with the hair and nails. I did the nails while they were sleeping. Find a hair dresser that caters to children or even have your husband take them to the barber. Seeing other big kids having their hair cut is great. I even had to de-senstize one of them by just sitting and watching for a while. Just be careful, everyday can be a struggle and if your child is trying to control the situation with tantrums, could get the message that it will work in other situations. Yikes.

sftbutterflykiss

MOM OF 6.. AND THEY ALL WENT THROUGH THAT STAGE... think it has to do with.. objects.. and sitting still.. its normal.. trust me

age1389

My daughter does the same thing. I cut her nails when she's sleeping.
As for the hair I cut it in the bath and sing to her. Now that worked the last time i did who knows if it will work the next time:laugh:
The joys of parenting


-Adrienne

ladywalkalot

It really is a developmental thing in that you are "removing" part of their body. Nails while asleep....maybe take him to a kids cuts' place that has movies and special chairs.....we have a few here in GA....they are awesome.....

Good luck...entirely normal!!