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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to expect preschool / nurseries would wipe a childs nose?

15 replies

TheShowMustGoOn · 16/12/2009 13:38

Not for the first time I've collected DD and she has a snotty nose, face painted with dried snot and paint/ glitter and sleeves covered in snot trails.

She does know how to blow her own nose and does at home but I guess she is too excited at preschool or maybe doesn't have a tissue offered?

OP posts:
PixieOnaChristmasTree · 16/12/2009 13:50

I don't think you're being U, but I don't think that the nursery nurses could wipe every child's nose when they needed it every time - surely they'd never get to do anything else other than wiping noses?

Maybe you could tuck a tissue up her sleeve before she leaves in the morning so that she'd have something to wipe her nose with?

MrsBadger · 16/12/2009 13:53

hmm

ours has tissue dispensers at child height and they are prompted to blow their own

jemart · 16/12/2009 13:59

Yanbu but you already know it's never going to happen. Only way forward is to teach your child how to wipe her nose by herself. They catch on quick, dd2 learnt by copying her sister.

bethoo · 16/12/2009 14:01

my cm never wipes my dds nose and she is 13 months old so as soon as i pick her up i am removing crusties, i am surprised she can breath her nose is so plugged up with them!
and ds is 2 and he never gets his hands or nose wiped either!

Original poster
TheShowMustGoOn · 16/12/2009 14:08

DD can ask but she's shy. DS is ASD and couldn't ask if he wanted to and when he was there the same happened.
Is it too much to ask that staff occasionally spot a huge stream of snot and wipe it?

OP posts:
Runoutofideas · 16/12/2009 14:34

No it's not too much too ask. I spent 14 entire sessions with my dd2 at pre-school getting her to settle in (which she now finally has thankfully!) and witnessed no end of nose wiping and encouraging children to get a tissue which were readily available. Admittedly with more children it's sometimes harder to get to them before they've done a quick swipe with the sleeve, but still the staff did their best.

DianeWB · 18/12/2009 08:48

Tucking a tissue up their sleeve is a good idea I've been doing it with my daughter for a couple of years and it works! Shes seen that i do it and we've helped things along by letting her choose her own tissues, she's now using snowflake themed tissues, and we've got her in the habit of popping a tissue in her sleeve when she dresses every day

mamasmissionimpossible · 18/12/2009 08:56

YANBU - It used to drive me mad that ds used to come back from nursery covered in his lunch on his face. It doesn't take that long to wipe a child's face, surely!

mum2all · 18/12/2009 22:36

It doesn't take long to wipe a child's face but each time you do you have to go and wash your hands (Singing 'Happy Birthday' twice so you are washing for the correct length of time!)Imagine having a class of 20 children all with runny noses how much time you would spend wiping or washing - not time for anything else.
'No, Jamie we can't have a story today - Amy, Jack and Claire all need their noses wiped.'
Whilst I would never leave a child with snot running down their face we do actively encourage them to get a tissue, blow/wipe and then wash their hands. Have you asked the nursery staff to remind your DD to get a tissue? Also try giving her a small packet she can keep in her pocket so they are always handy?
But am afraid runny noses and snot trail jumpers are just a hazard of nursery age children. I regularly go home with snot trails on my trousers just at 3yrold nose height

Buddleja · 18/12/2009 22:40

The whole of Happy Birthday?!

golgi · 18/12/2009 22:43

I have a 3 year old who prefers to wipe it on his sleeves anyway. I have to jump in with the tissue pretty quickly.

All the children at his pre-school had snotty noses last week - the teacher would be doing nothing but wiping.

They should have tissues available though.

Or some sort of disposable tissue-based sleeve covering, maybe.

(googles in expectation that someone somewhere will have made such a thing)

oh yes so they have

mum2all · 18/12/2009 23:13

yes Buddleja the WHOLE of 'happy birthday' twice!!! Thats what our local HV and school nurse recommend - they even sent reminder emails in light of swine flu scares

Buddleja · 18/12/2009 23:33

flipping heck mum2all - that's some handwashing even if you sing really fast

mum2all · 20/12/2009 18:59

Your telling me - takes forever!! Am however a HUGE fan of anti bac gel which is way quicker

Maleeka · 20/12/2009 20:12

We had a spectacular sneeze the other day which left a trail about a hundred miles long and side swiped all the kids around him.

After waiting for his head to stop spinning round, exorcist stylee, i had to chase him around the room with a tissue as he attempted to eat his nose droppings instead.

Makes me feel sick to my stomach reliving this and thanks to all those wonderful children i'm now nursing the mother of all colds and a hacking cough!

I know we encourage the kids to share, but really in this case i'd be happy for them to scream "MINE"!! as all those germs fly happily through the air!

That said, we do try to wipe kids noses before their sleeves become much more appealing

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