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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Stupidly minor issue but.....

30 replies

hecticmum · 27/02/2008 11:40

can all your young school-age kids blow their noses? I don't mean wipe their nose, I mean properly blow it.

DD (5) can't and her teacher is making quite a thing of it every time she has a cold, asking me to teach her how to blow it, so she (dd) doesn't have to wipe her runny nose as much.

I completely understand but teaching dd to do it is another issue and I haven't got a clue how to. Have shown her but she can't get the hang of it, either blows a raspberry through her mouth or just breathes out really hard through her nose, doesn't 'blow'. Also, I've personally never been able to do it, I physically don't seem able to, have fairly strange sinuses which might explain why - I can't even blow up a balloon because it causes massive pain through my 'tubes'. Am thinking dd may have inherited some of this and so its expecting too much of her anyway.

It's such a stupidly small thing but I hate being reminded of it every time as if I'm ignoring dd's needs/development in some way - should I try harder or tell the teacher I'm really not bothered and dd will just have to wipe her nose incessantly if need be?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

magnolia74 · 27/02/2008 11:43

Nope, dd4 is 4.5 and can't blow her nose, I have tried to teach her but she just sniffs or wipes

Original poster

hecticmum · 27/02/2008 11:46

Thanks magnolia, if a teacher insisted she needed to learn would you try harder or say it doesn't bother you?

OP posts:

tootiredtothink · 27/02/2008 11:48

Tell the teacher you have tried but your dd just can't get the hang of it(she is only 5!) - she is a teacher for heavens sake and should understand some kids take longer to learn certain things than others? Maybe you could even suggest she gives it a go (nicely of course!) as most kids take instruction better from their teachers.
Also being a teacher she should know that learning to blow your nose is the hardest thing a person ever has to learn (it is a fact but cannot remember where i read it!).
Good luck and keep us posted! xx

dorathesnorer · 27/02/2008 11:57

Oh wow that's really weird cos my dd aged 7 can't blow her nose and it's always really annoyed me as her sis aged 5 can and has done for years I never thought that she might not physically be able to, feel guilty for getting annoyed with her now

jura · 27/02/2008 12:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

princessosyth · 27/02/2008 12:17

I can't blow my nose and I am 35! .

magnolia74 · 27/02/2008 12:18

Dd4's teacher has never mentioned a problem with it, they do have boxes of tissues around the classroom and dd will wipe her nose but not blow it.

I would probably be a bit bothered if the teachers had a problem with it, they should realise that all kids learn at different rates and that includes blowing your nose as mush as learning your abc

gladbag · 27/02/2008 12:20

Hecticmum, you are obviously not alone. My ds (4.1) can't blow his nose either. As others have said he just sniffs in, or blows out his mouth. I've tried and tried, but he just doesn't seem to be able to coordinate it. I'm assuming it's just one of those things that he'll 'get' one day.

Any tips to help would be great.......

IdrisTheDragon · 27/02/2008 12:21

I only learned to blow my nose properly in the past few years and I am 32.

cornsilk · 27/02/2008 12:24

What a silly teacher! Is she/he young or old? Bet she hasn't got kids. Does she dress in posh clobber that she doesn't want snot on?

bozza · 27/02/2008 12:25

I was well into adulthood before I could, but I have dodgy tubes too. DS (7) (adenoids out, several sets of grommets including permanent ones now) can when instructed by DH, but it is not a natural thing for him. DD (3) can't.

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 27/02/2008 12:26

I honestly think it is one of those things you can't teach them. My eldest is nearly seven and I am sure he doesn't do it properly and every time it needs doing. My daughter is 4 and a half and she can have a good go and does pretty well actually. My youngest is 2 1/2 and he tries and makes all the right sounds but nothing comes out most of the time.

Maybe the teacher would like to help your DD learn to try too!

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 27/02/2008 12:27

Haveing read princessosyth's post it just reminded me that sometimes I try and blow my nose and fail dismally! I am 36. tell the teacher to leave your Dd alone, OP.

stealthsquiggle · 27/02/2008 12:39

Absolutely daft, IMHO. DS (5) has just got it. A wise and experienced MNer suggested getting them to try and blow out a candle with their nose, as it were. That didn't work for DS, but then he accidentally started blowing bubbles out of his nose in the bath and I pounced on it and said "that is what you have to do" - and he got it!!

I would be if a teacher had nagged me about it - I wanted him to learn because he was driving me nuts by sniffing all the time!

mistlethrush · 27/02/2008 12:48

My Mil told me very proudly that she'd 'taught' ds, then 2.4, to blow his nose. On further investigation, what she'd taught him was to sniff into a tissue. Perhaps it's not surprising that DH NEVER blows his nose when he's had such good training!

fircone · 27/02/2008 14:50

I once saw a tip in a magazine that said to get kids to practise blowing a feather across a bowl of water with their nose but with mouth closed.

Mind you, I tried this with ds. He managed to blow the feather across, then did the most almighty inward snort. He loves sniffing.

branflake81 · 27/02/2008 14:50

Oh thank God Im not the only adult who can't blow their nose. No one knows this - I just can't.

LynetteScavo · 27/02/2008 14:52

Can you sniff?

hellish · 27/02/2008 14:52

Me too, I can't blow my nose and really don't want to. I have never encouraged my children to either. I once read that it's not necessarily a good idea as it encourages more mucus in the nose.

(sure someone will come along with medical knowledge)

Niecie · 27/02/2008 14:56

I had exactly the same problem with DS2, still do in fact. He always sniffs instead of blowing or blows out of his mouth.

I did try to get him to imagine he was trying to blow candles out with his nose and it worked moderately well once but we haven't been able to repeat it.

He is 4.5 btw.

DS1, who is supposed to be the one with coordination problems, has been able to do it since he was 2.

I didn't realise that even some adults can't do it. I shall try to be less impatient with DS2's sniffing now!

Niecie · 27/02/2008 14:58

Oh sorry Stealthsquiggle I see you have already suggested the candle blowing. I think I might have got the answer from here too!

Buda · 27/02/2008 15:01

I thought DS was the only one! We have rows every time he has a cold as he makes me feel ill with all the sniffing!

DH sniffs too.

Joash · 27/02/2008 15:04

Yes - GS has been able to blow his nose properly since he was about 2. One of the first things I teach 'em as I have an aversion to snot. It actually makes me physically sick to see is or to hear anyone blow their noses.

cantputfingeron · 27/02/2008 15:05

hi all- am I missing something here?

I can blow my nose since I can remember, how can you be an adult and cannot blow your nose?

DS (4.6) has been able to blow his nose for over a year now.

He had a very bad cold with a stuffed nose, so I put a tissue on his nose and asked him to blow his nose - which he did there and then without asking any questions.

Sorry if I sound blunt, certainly I don't want to brag about blowing noses - but I am just wondering if there is a specific way to do it and if I have been doing it wrong for all my life....

prettybird · 27/02/2008 15:05

Ds can't either and he is 7.5.

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