Any clever tips for removing a splinter from a stubborn five year old PLEASE!

[ilooklikegrotbagstoday]

DS1 has had a splinter in the tip of his finger since this morning, he screams if I so much as try to touch the finger. He is sitting with his hand in a bowl of warm water and salt as I heard somewhere this makes it easier to remove but he is whinging about having to sit, whinging about the splinter and bickering with DS2. They are both driving me insane.

Any suggestions to save my sanity and DS' finger PLEASE!

bump

Well - ummm - this may very well be an old wives tale but my Mum used to dab the area with peroxide first insisting that this made the splinter 'bubble' out or some such nonsense I have a vague memory that it worked. Sometimes.
Or how about 'freezing' it with ice and then having a go?

I remember doing this when one of mine was little, bizarrely he let me do it when he lay his hand on a Spiderman picture and said spider man was watching him being brave, followed up by a packet of chocolate buttons.

Thanks for the tips. DH has dunked them both in the bath. I'll check the finger when they're all done. The salt water didn't work so hoping the bubbly water did. if not I'll try the ice.

A sugar and soap 'poultice' can draw it out, you'd need to put a plaster on it to keep the sugar and soap in place. It works :) good luck x

You can get drawing paste from chemists, designed to draw out splinters/ pus etc.

Hope it's sorted quickly for her!

To my shame when this happened to my 4 yr old I had to take him to the local surgery for the nurse to remove it. He sat still for her, but wouldn't let me near it!

For speed, a two inch square of ordinary white bread with a teaspoonful of hot water on it (it will cool in the minute it takes to apply to the splinter).
Keep it on for 5 mins then reapply and wrap the bread poultice with a flannel and see how long he will keep it on.

The yeast in the bread acts as a drawing agent and the splinter will be easier to remove if it does not actually come out.

You could just stick a plaster over it to soften the skin - overnight should do it. It will be much easier then to tweezer or squeeze out. Otherwise try asking the chemist to do it - he might sit still for them, or a nurse at the surgery. Good luck!