There are many ways to teach your child to blow their nose, but did you know that using bubbles can be an effective method? In this article, we’ll share some tips for teaching your child to blow their nose and at what age you should start this process.
Children as young as 2 can learn to blow their noses properly, so there’s no reason to wait until they catch a cold to start teaching them. Your kid undoubtedly has excellent oral motor skills after all their experience blowing on bubble wands and party candles. With minimal effort, you can get your kid to switch to nasal breathing, where boogers will presumably stay put in tissues rather than on their shirt.
Continue reading for amusing advice on teaching your child to blow their nose in a tissue.
Toddler Nose Blowing Games
Children learn best via play, especially when it comes to subjects as important as teaching them proper hygiene. It might take several tries to get the motions down, and they may need a lot of prompting to use a tissue when their nose starts running, but that’s okay. Your child will learn to always use a tissue properly after some practice.
Finger over mouth.
Dr. Katherine O’Connor, a mother of three and a physician at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, recommends practicing with a finger over your child’s lips to demonstrate to them that they can make air flow out of their nose.
Pinch your child’s nose lightly so they can feel the air passing through their mouth. Tell them to close their mouth and open their nostrils, then blow through their nose into a tissue to remove the boogers.
Underwater
You can educate your child to blow bubbles through their nose while bathing and then have them use the same technique when their nose is stuffed up. Make it more enjoyable by dressing up like a sea monster or an underwater volcano.
Cotton ball races.
Using only their nose, have your child quickly move a cotton ball, a feather, or a little ball of tissue paper across a flat surface. (You should be ready for snot to fly and clean the area afterward.)
Tissue that dance.
How do you get a tissue to dance? You added a little boogie to it! Give a tissue to your child and have them practice blowing air through their nose to make the tissue dance. Play crazy music and blow into the tissue to the beat of the song to add some fun.
Using a Tissue Correctly
You may teach your kid to blow their nose through their right nostril by placing a tissue over their nose and pressing down on their left nostril. Duplicate with the other nostril, then hand it on to your youngster. It is always beneficial to demonstrate oneself.
“Little children love to copy, so if they see you using tissues first, they are more likely to try to use them on their own,” explains Rebecca G. Carter, M.D., a parent of two and a physician at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital in Baltimore. You can also demonstrate proper tissue use to your youngster during playtime.
Quick Tips
Blowing a chapped nose can be excruciatingly uncomfortable for anybody, especially children. Put a dab of petroleum jelly on your kid’s nose to keep their skin from cracking if they have a runny nose. To be used as often as required.
Teaching Tissue Disposal
To guarantee that germy tissues are properly disposed of, take advantage of your child’s willingness to help by assigning them the “trash collector” task for a few minutes each day.
Dr. Carter says she employed this technique with both of her children, and it works “even if he misses the pail when he tosses a wrapper or a soiled napkin,” demonstrating that he can help you in minor ways around the house. If you teach your child to dispose of their used tissues before they get sick properly, it will be second nature for them to do so the next time they need to.
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