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How to teach 4yr old to blow nose?

11 replies

espressoontap · 12/02/2021 08:40

He has a cold and woke up with the crustiest nose ever Envy (obviously not envy)

Now he's sniffing and it's driving me up the wall. He's never been able to blow his nose - how did you all teach your children? He's fine in himself btw.

OP posts:
espressoontap · 12/02/2021 09:23

Bump

OP posts:
EnglishGirlApproximately · 12/02/2021 09:26

I have no advice sorry, just checking in to say that teaching DS to blow his nose has been harder than shoelaces and telling the time combined Grin He's eight and still struggles and I don't know how to explain it better than 'just blow out of your nose!

Bamaluz · 12/02/2021 09:27

Put tissue over nose, tell him to close his mouth, then to blow as hard as he can keeping his mouth closed.

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PoppityPop · 12/02/2021 09:32

It can help if you close one nostril with the tissue when you put it over his nose and do one nostril at a time. There is more resistance this way so it’s easier to get a good blow and feel what that’s like.

espressoontap · 12/02/2021 09:45

It's infuriating Sad obviously not coming across that way with DS. I've tried the one nostril trick but it's not doing anything. Using an aspiration at the mo. I hate snot.

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goldierocks · 12/02/2021 10:06

I taught my DS at a similar age with a small candle (birthday cake type). Light the candle, then tell DS to put it out 'with the air inside your nose' only. Move the candle further away so he has to really go for it. Not for the faint hearted, be prepared to mop up!

My DS got the concept really quickly, but liked to 'forget' so we'd play the nose-candle game again!

espressoontap · 12/02/2021 10:13

@goldierocks

I taught my DS at a similar age with a small candle (birthday cake type). Light the candle, then tell DS to put it out 'with the air inside your nose' only. Move the candle further away so he has to really go for it. Not for the faint hearted, be prepared to mop up!

My DS got the concept really quickly, but liked to 'forget' so we'd play the nose-candle game again!

We've just done this but he just can't grasp it. I'll just keep coming at him with the aspirator and tell him I'll stop when he can blow his nose. It's pouring from him Envy
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Toddlerteaplease · 12/02/2021 10:15

He needs suction I love sucking snot out of babies noses. So satisfying. (I'm a paediatric nurse)

TheVampiresWife · 12/02/2021 10:17

DD was unable to blow her nose when she was little, turned out to be adenoids. She eventually grew out of it but by God the stink and colour of the stuff she eventually blew out of her nose was something I'll never forget.

espressoontap · 12/02/2021 10:24

I'm a nurse too, ex-ITU and loved suctioning closed circuit vents - can't cope with it in any other means. Making me gag now just remembering it coming out earlier.

Ooh adenoids - I bet it was fruity 🤮

OP posts:
LittleRa · 12/02/2021 10:27

My DD is 6 and can’t blow her nose, she just can’t get her head round it Grin I hold a tissue up to it and say “blow” and she just sort of feebly exhales out of both mouth and nose. I say no, not your mouth, keep your mouth closed, and she feebly exhales out of nose nowhere near hard enough to dislodge snot Grin She can wipe it if the snot gets to the spilling out stage though.

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