Shiloh's Not The Only One With Painted Nails! Here's a How-to From A Real Mom

Shiloh's Not The Only One With Painted Nails! Here's a How-to From A Real Mom
I couldn't help but notice that three out of six Jolie-Pitt kids are wearing red nail polish in their baby siblings' debut in PEOPLE. A few of you wondered about the safety of putting nailpolish on toddlers, and I can assure you that Shiloh's not the only little one who likes dressing up her her fingers. My own little princess Anya likes it too and so do many of my friends' kids, even the boys.

(I had planned to wait until Anya was at least 3 or 4, but Aunt Sheril babysat one day and we arrived home to see Anya showing off her first mani-pedi. Since then, all she wants is "paint my nails.") If you haven't started yet, I advise you wait as long as you can! I have to say, it's kind of a good bribe to get her to stop eating her fingers, but she often forgets.

If it's too late or you can't wait anymore, here are a few tips for a fun, mess-free manicure.

  1. Wash her hands first. Clean nails hold polish better.
  2. Make sure she's contained in a high chair until the polish is totally dry. Otherwise, you're at risk of her smearing them on furniture, clothing, etc. Another option is to do it outside.
  3. If you've got a squirmy child on your hands, use a light colored polish since they dry faster and shows mistakes less. Only do one coat and use a fast-drying polish. No need for a top coat.
  4. If your kid still puts her fingers in her mouth, a non-toxic polish is a must. Avoid those kiddy polishes because, ironically, they are most often the junkiest and the last kind you want her ingesting. Look for polishes that do not contain toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, acetone, or dibutyl phthalate which are the chemicals responsible for that familiar nail polish stink. Try Polished Mama, or Acquarella. My personal favorite is NICOLE by OPI's Nic Sticks because the polish is in the brush and is extra fast-drying. (While you're at it, buy a bottle for yourself and throw out your old gunky smelly polish!)
  5. Show her how to blow on her nails - this won't really acccomplish anything but it will keep her from touching anything until they dry. After a few minutes, dab some olive oil (or any edible oil) on them and/or run her hands under cold water- both speed up drying.
  6. If she is a finger or thumbsucker, consider just doing her toes.
  7. Another good option is to apply nail decals and paint a coat of clear polish.
  8. When you're done, hide the polish or you may find your child giving a manicure to the dog one day.

Hand models: Charlie, Anya

Do you paint your kids' nails?


Published 8/5/08 by


Celebrity Baby Blog

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