Do you paint your toddler's fingernails? - Page 3

[LizD]

Originally posted by NewMa
I'm pretty sure that when or if the time comes, I'll try to sway her in a less femme-y direction. I want her to be a kid for as long as she can be before she starts worrying about the way gender gets acted out and the standards of beauty imposed on women.

The thing is, toddlers and small children want their nails polished for fun, not to look like grown ladies. It's the response of adults that makes the difference. In our Waldorf school the fifth grade teacher wouldn't let her female students paint their nails because she considered it too sexual; the male third grade teacher had his toenails painted after a summer away and had no nail polish remover, so red they stayed, peeking through his sandals, and in my second grade class, I had 8 year old boys who liked their nails painted.

I see a big difference between toddlers and small children having their nails painted and a nine year old cousin of mine who can't talk about anything but makeovers and fashion shows. Again, it's the programming the adults plug into the children, not the cosmetics/clothes/dolls themselves.

[boston]

well said, Liz!

[huskrkid]

It's the only way I get to paint my own...but I only do her toenails and only with a very neutral polish (or a very sheer glittery one!) I really don't see the harm in it. It's not all the time.

Most time she does it herself...with her washable crayons. And daddy's too!!

[PaMomx3]

I do not wear makeup at all, but my dd loves to play with it. i let her paint her nails, she thinks it's fun. when ds#1 was younger, he liked nail polish, too and i had no problem letting him wear it.

[LunaMom]

In the summer I paint dd's toenails because I do my own and she asks for hers. I didn't do it until she was 3, though, and I use light colors mostly. Fingernails...I just don't love the way it looks on a little girl, plus she tends to put her fingers in her mouth quite a bit. I agree that it isn't really a feminist issue if the kid just thinks it's fun, but I still don't like it - kind of like the "real" play lipstick that came in a dress-up case she got as a gift...I let her play with it, but I hate looking at her with it on!

[Threefold]

I almost never do my fingernails, but have to admit to being a former pedicure junkie, and still do my own toes every once in a while. A few weeks ago we visited my MIL in AZ, and I painted my toes so I wouldn't be so appalled by the sight of my white feet in sandals. ds (28 mo) was thrilled to see my purple toes! Last weekend, a good friend came to visit and he almost always has a coat of polish on his toes. ds was thrilled again and wanted his done. So we did. Though ds only wanted 6 toes painted before wanting to do it himself! At this point we pulled out major distraction techniques and I hid the polish! I gave him a little brush with some oil on it and let him paint with that, but that was NOT as interesting :
I also worry about the chemicals, but figure that once in a while in a well ventilated area is ok (though maybe I'm mislead here). As far as removing the polish--time will do the trick!

I think I'd actually be less willing to paint a daughter's toes b/c then it feels less like fun and more like early programming. But, who knows how I'd change my mind if we had a dd.

[ombra*luna]

Ds loves to have his nails painted. He'll come to me with his big sister's nail polish and hold it up saying "Peeeze?" with a sweet smile and putting out his fingers.

How could I resist?

[Karennnnn]

This is how I respond to the comments about nail painting being "feminine".
Kids/toddlers particularly have no idea what it means to be "effemenate". They know what it means to emulate though, and when they want something like their toenails painted, it's because someone that they look up to is doing it.
My son also loves to stand up next to his potty and pretend he's daddy peeing, among other things he enjoys copying!! Doesn't mean anything except for just that!
Of course, quite simply, having your toenails painted is just FUN. I think the first time he wanted it done was because he wanted to be like me. After that he enjoys it because he likes how it feels and how it looks.
Take care guys!
Karen

[NaturalMamma]

Don't do it! It's not healthy. Check out this article:

http://www.healthwell.com/delicious-...ay_03/fast.cfm

I've never been much for nail polish. I decided to ditch it completely when I started ttc my DD who is now 2.5 yo and still nursing. There are too many chemicals seeping into our bodies...many we have little or no control over. So, when you can control it, avoid it.

Stay healthy.

Cindi

[gabner]

I am allergic to formaldehyde and it is a horrible allergy to have. There are so many things that have formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasing agents in them that avoiding formaldeyhde is very difficult. Formaldehyde exposure has caused me to have life-threatening sinus infections and pneumonia.

Nail polish contains formaldehyde. Don't risk giving your babies and young children formaldehyde allergies, you will not believe all the products you will have to avoid. Nail polish is one of the things that are likely to cause formaldhyde allergies.

I have used No Miss nail polish that is available in health food stores with no problems. I've only used it a couple of times for special occasions.

[Dr.Worm]

I got Julia one of those little plastic eggs with a dinky toy from the supermarket...you know the silly kind where the hen lays the egg and then you find out what junk you get? In one of them there was a tiny bottle of nail polish. My mom thinks I should use it as a nice little surprise. I am also afraid of her chewing on it but I will explain that it's not to eat..it's for her nails and I think I would do them outside on a blanket or something.

[Pynki]

yep...

We paint ds nails.. Finger or toe depending on what he wants, when i am painting mine.. I think shocking pink (whick i love) just isn't right on a boy.. ( I know i know) But i have green, and blue, and purple and red, and white, and yellow, and sparkles, and gold, and well you get the point..

It's fun.. And i am all for breaking down gender typical barriers...

Warm Squishy Feelings...

Dyan

[Eman'smom]

I paint ds's toe nails, he asks to have it done or I wouldn't do it. He loves to have them painted, it's the only time he sit's still, he even sits through them drying, I can get 10 minutes of quiet time, when they get painted.

[TiredX2]

On occasion. We have super fast dry polish in bold colors (fushia, red & blue) that DD, DS, DH & I have all had on. DH walks around bearfoot alot at work and he got *lots* of comments over his blue toenails, but he just says, "I have a daughter, you just wait" and everyone thinks its funny. Whenever I polish mine, which is rare indeed, DD and DS line up too (4 years and 20 months). DS LOVES getting his nails clipped, too, which is great!

Kay

[LunaMom]

Well, this morning dd asked me to paint her toenails, since I did mine recently (warm weather, yay! Though it keeps RAINING! ). I was happy to oblige, as I stated in my previous post in this thread...but then she asked for her fingernails and I said no. Felt like a hypocrite...I think I don't mind it on her toes because it's not as visible. Somehow it looks too much like wearing makeup to me, too grown-up, KWIM? Of course she informed me that so-and-so's mom lets them and I pulled out the trusty old "different families have different rules" thing - bet kids get so tired of that one!

[Leonor]

Only if my child asked me to do it.