Nose blowing 101
March 28, 2013 3:35 PM   Subscribe

Are there any special tricks for teaching a preschooler how to blow her nose?

It's hard to teach a preschooler how to blow her nose. When you say "blow out", either she doesn't have enough blowing power to get the stuff out, or the air comes out her mouth, or she inhales through her nose and all the stuff that needs to come out just goes further in.

Are there any tricks for teaching a young child how to blow her nose?
posted by Dansaman to Health & Fitness (9 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
My kid's preschool teacher had them take a deep breath, close their mouths, hold down one nostril with the tissue placed in front of the open one and pretend to blow out a candle with through their nostril. Repeat on the other side.

It was the birthday candle idea, obviously, that made it appealing.

(Although my 14 year old son still likes to snuffle it in more than blow it out...)
posted by kinetic at 3:39 PM on March 28, 2013 [4 favorites]


We used to tell our daughter to imagine she was a dragon blowing smoke out of her nose.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:34 PM on March 28, 2013 [2 favorites]


There's a previously here with another previously in the comments.

I don't have kids but for some reason that question stuck with me.
posted by mireille at 4:57 PM on March 28, 2013


Nose-blowing is overrated and might make things worse, let her sniffle and just wipe her nose.
posted by steinwald at 5:42 PM on March 28, 2013 [2 favorites]


My 18 month old starting opening her mouth wide and then closing it after sticking a finger in it every time she saw a tissue. I was all WTH? Until I experimented one day and found if I do indeed open my mouth wide and then close my mouth around my finger it does force air into my nose and I do ever so slightly end up blowing it. The effect may be greater on little persons.

I think her daycare must have taught her this.

My son was taught to open his mouth wide and make a monkey face by protruding his jaw. That seems to work pretty well as does asking him to snort and snuff like a rhinocerous. He is 4.
posted by zizzle at 6:20 PM on March 28, 2013


My kids were motivated to learn because the alternative was THE BULB.

When they were a little older, I introduced the neti pot. Luckily my kid who is prone to snot is also my kid who is open to all sorts of adventures.
posted by padraigin at 6:33 PM on March 28, 2013


You can help her figure out where to push the air out by blowing a ping ping ball across the table with her nose!! This doesn't work so well when she's congested, obviously, but is a fun way to teach her when she's well.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 7:34 PM on March 28, 2013


Nose-blowing is overrated and might make things worse, let her sniffle and just wipe her nose.
posted by steinwald


I think you've never had a 4-year-old with a cold.
posted by kuanes at 5:46 AM on March 29, 2013


Kuanes, I have a three year old. Is it really going to get that much worse?
posted by steinwald at 6:34 AM on March 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


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