As for painted nails, Lil Miss has always been a nightmare when it comes to cutting them. Apparently it hurts, but as soon as she was old enough to bargain with…around two… the cutting amazingly didn’t hurt if it came with the magic promise of painted nails!!! Otherwise we’d be in for hour long tantrums or me leaving her nails because I didn’t want to face the battle. Her nails threaten growing into her skin, she’d scratch herself & her brother & I’d feel like a much worse mother then than if she had a tint of pink on her nails.

I bought her her own nail varnish, a few children’s ones that are barely there colour wise but they peel off and she’s already cottoned onto the fact they don’t last long, so my nail varnish it is. Last time she was sporting a deep plummy purple. Far too old for her really but I told her she could only have it because she was going to a party. I’ll remember to tuck that one out of sight next time!!

So no, you’re not a bad mother at all, and if so then there’s a huge club of us!! 😉 We have to choose our battles very very carefully. This is definitely one where the nail varnish outweighs the battle or them not having their nails cut!!