Helpful Tips
Trimming Those Tiny Nails
Try giving your child something to hold onto while trimming
Press down gently on the nail bed while trimming the nail
File instead of trim with clippers (remember to remember to hold the nail bed for this)
Do your nail trimming while they are asleep
Make it fun...pretend the fingernail pieces are hitting you in the head while you snip, saying "Ow!!!" each time. Kids usually think that is funny!
*Infants have very soft nails for the first couple of months....be very careful not to trim too short and only trim when it is necessary.
Brushing Teeth
Start early! As soon as that first tooth comes in. Get them used to it.
Once your child turns 2 have him stand facing away from you and teach them to brush on their own
Preschoolers - Let them choose their own toothbrush
Let them use chewable tablets and colorful rinses to show them where they could have brushed better
Try a battery operated toothbush
Have your child show you their mouth, pretend you see little germs in their mouth moving around and say "Oh my gosh!!! I see them! You better brush them away!" (this worked great for my kids. They would brush really good then ask me to look to see if they got all the germs)
Getting Those Tangles Out
A little conditioner goes a long way....
ALWAYS start at the bottom NOT the scalp!!
Brush small area's of hair at a time
Remind your child that if they don't like sitting to get their hair brushed they can get it cut to a more manageable length
Making Medicine Easier
Infant - If using a syringe or dropper, squirt the medicine into one side of the mouth slowly
Use a medicine dispenser shaped like a pacifier.....or just use a nipple from a bottle
For Toddlers - Give him something sweet he would enjoy before the medicine and follow with the same thing
If a pill needs to be swallowed... it might be easier for him to swallow it with a spoon of pudding instead of liquid
*Try OralFlo Pill Swallowing Cup www.oralflo.com
