kalanamak wrote in message ...
Mark wrote:

You're the grownup; don't let your fear of your two year old allow
you to be ruled by him. That's a sure-fire recipe for raising an
absolute monster.

Mark, MD

What an odd thought. I don't think trying to avoid phyically hurting a
child by trimming too close or jabbing with an orange stick is being
ruled by him nor an example of being afraid of him. **I** hate using a
brush on my nails, gives me the creepy-tickles, and never do to myself,
so I thought it reasonable that it is unpleasant for him, as he does sit
still for trimming of nails and sits like a statue when I trim his hair.
If I have any worries about this kid is that he is too good, and gives
anything to anyone who asks, particularly little girls, whom he dips his
head shyly to and bats his blue eyes, a trick his father has, and that
was the first step on the way to his conception.
I guess there is no "trick". Perhaps I'll feel less queasy about him
eating with such dirty nails when he consistantly uses silverware.
blacksalt, also MD


What I was trying to get across is that if your son's dirty nails
bother you, it's actually pretty easy to clean them. I'm not talking
about some kind of brutal hold-down fight, but if it's time to clean
the nails, it's time to clean the nails. My kids have all gone
through periods when they balk at taking a bath. At age 7, one of my
sons would splash some water on himself and announce that he had
"bathed". One sniff told us otherwise, and he was gently told to go
back upstairs and do it again -- the right way this time.

If you're worried about cutting too close when you trim his nails, I
understand; I remember my mother nipping the skin on occasion when
she trimmed my fingernails. But if the alternative is either to have
grubby nails or to clean them with a gentle brushing, I think the
choice is pretty clear. He won't hate you for making him keep his
nails clean, even though he might not particularly enjoy the process
the first couple times.

My comment about monsters stems from seeing so many kids who are
coddled and treated with such caution by their parents that they begin
to assume that it is their *right* not to be disappointed in any way.
(I'm not saying that you are necessarily doing this; it's just an
illustration.)

The parents of these kids are so deathly afraid of disappointing their
child that the child never gets a clear message that Mom is the boss,
and that when the chips are down, the child's *wants* are secondary to
his *needs* ("I don't want to take another bath!" "Ah yes, but you
*need* to take another bath -- now go to it.")

Sorry, just got off on a rant there.

Final thought: I doubt that dirty fingernails ever killed anyone.
This basically boils down to one of the small things that you can
afford not to sweat about if you choose.

Mark, MD