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How to teach dd to blow her nose?!

16 replies

pamplemousse · 16/12/2008 11:33

Is she old enough? She's 2.1. Has a bad cold and the constant snot is making her nose really sore, she also sleeps badly you can hear the snot stuck in her nose, its horrible poor thing, if only she'd blow her nose!
How on earth do you teach this? I have tried showing her to take a breath, close her mouth a breath out but she doesn't get it/isn't interested.
Any ideas?!

OP posts:
bodiddly · 16/12/2008 11:45

My ds is 3.9 and rarely manages to do it .. I think it is quite difficult to learn. I remember having problems when I was little ... Have you tried cleaning her nose off and putting some vaseline over it as a barrier. It helps prevent it all getting stuck and a bit less sore!

Elk · 16/12/2008 12:06

I just used to put a tissue around my dd's nose and tell them to blow their nose. It sort of works!!.

By 2 dd1 could blow her nose,however, now aged 5 she can't!!

dd2 is so laid back about things like that so I don't think she will ever learn.

honeybunmum · 16/12/2008 13:53

My DD 2yr 3mths can do it (if I can catch her) I taught her by demonstating it myself and everytime she tried, if she did it correctly I verbally rewarded her, she soon got the hang of it.
Also being curious and disgusting, she liked to examine the contents of the tissue, so I guess that was an incentive!!!

pania · 16/12/2008 16:05

Can she blow out through her mouth?

If she can, maybe you could ask her to do it a few times for practice and then see if you can get her to do the next blow with her mouth closed.

pamplemousse · 18/12/2008 19:19

Thanks for your suggestions, glad she's normal in not being able to do it!

OP posts:
Piffle · 18/12/2008 19:26

my dd is 6 and can't/won't yet her 21mth old brother can
It is so frstrating
Her nose is red raw and no matter what we do she just will not compute!!!

pamplemousse · 18/12/2008 19:56

6, oh god i don't know if i can cope for 8that8 long!! Poor you!

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VaginaShmergina · 18/12/2008 19:57

DD is 8 and cant do it

mrsnoname · 18/12/2008 20:06

Have you heard of otovent?
The Otovent consists of a plastic tube to which a small balloon is attached. The tube is placed in one nostril and the child inflates the balloon by blowing air through the nostril and into the tube. This device is essentially there to help produce beneficial effects in glue ear, but is also great for helping your child learn how to blow their nose.

earlynite · 18/12/2008 20:10

I am 32 and I can't blow my nose! Honest

vesela · 18/12/2008 22:45

Am I making this up or did I read somewhere that lots of people don't blow their nose properly? You're supposed to do one nostril at a time, i.e. shut one nostril and blow down the other - if you blow down both at once then apparently it causes sinus trouble because the snot gets blown back inside.

So it could be worth teaching them to do it like that from the get-go.

bellaBuonNatalevita · 18/12/2008 22:47

DS2 (9) can blow for England and has been able to do since he was 2. DS1 (11.6) however, is another matter..

ThingOne · 18/12/2008 22:57

My five year old can't manage it yet. He's not had that many snotty colds. Last year he was still upset by trying. This year he just couldn't quite manage it. I'm sure I was older when I managed it.

honeybunmum · 19/12/2008 12:05

I'm going to try blowing one nostril at a time thanks vesela I have terrible trouble with sinuses and ears. I'm 33 and no-one has ever suggested that to me before, I'll give it a go!

georgiemum · 19/12/2008 12:12

Put a cotton wool ball on the table. Get her to blow it with air out her nose.

Of course, only do this when she hasn't a snottrey nose.

bloss · 19/12/2008 12:25

Message withdrawn

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