We are not sickly people.
My kids have stayed amazingly well this past year, as they have most years.
But this last week has made me crazy.
I had to stay home with my dtr last Thursday because the night before she had Fever join Cough and Congestion for a party in her body.
And of course, a couple of days later, They decided to get my son in on the fun. What started as an innocent runny nose and slight cough, escalated to full-blown Head Cold and Ear Infections in a matter of hours on Sunday morning. By Sunday evening, he was a mess as High Fever ramped up the party fun. I stayed home with him Monday, and was happy that he was fever-free all day/night so I could send him to school and me to work on Tuesday.
That dreaded Fever snuck back Tuesday while he was at school, meaning I had to cut my day short at work and head back to get him.
That is his second ear infection in two months and I not a particular fan of giving my kids lots of antibiotics.
In thinking about the difference between my kid's course of illness, I realized something. My son still couldn't blow his nose, thus encouraging most of his sniffling and snorting to gather right up into his ear canals.
Ta-da, ear infection!
So, I was a Mama on a Mission these past 3 days!
Teach my almost 4 year old to blow his nose.
On Sunday night, I put him in the shower simply to loosen up his congestion and clean his snotty face! At one point, he yelled for me and indicated he had some snot hanging out his nose that he wanted me to wipe.
Light bulb moment!
I told him to stick a bubble in his mouth (that wonderful commonly used technique to get kids to be quiet!) and BLOW out his nose as hard as he could.
And he DID IT!
Again and again and again!
I think when we took away the pressure of the Kleenex and the discussion of how to blow his nose, AND the added bonus of giving him free messy reign in the shower, he got it.
And he has been successfully blowing his nose in Kleenex ever since.
Hopefully, this will eliminate any ear infections in the near future!
Using the shower to teach kids to blow their nose- it works for me!
Stacey
4 comments:
Thanks for the tip. I will have to remember this one.
Bethany will hold a tissue up to her nose and blow, she just doesn't know hot to pinch the nose to get it all in the tissue... sometimes it makes a mess, but it's a start!
My oldest just turned 4 & we're still working on this! But, I think you are on to something here. I'm going to give this a try. Thanks!
great idea - thanks!
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