Blowing Nose....

My son was somewhere around 1 1/2 or so. One thing that we found that helped was to "practice" when he didn't to blow, so that he understood little more. The other thing I found by accident...I tickled his tummy one day as he blew! It really helped him clear his nose and became part of it for the longest. He's 4 1/2 now and still sometimes wants me to tickle him when his nose is really stopped up.

My 2 youngest have allergies like me.

We had to do the nose thing often. And we also did nose sprays for allergy. When they got somewhere around 20 months to 30 months (I know it was well before they started preschool) is when it clicked.

I did not really try to teach them so much as just made them do it almost daily because of our allergy issues. I would do the nose thing and as they got older I talked to them as I did things...and started saying just blow your nose. Then I blew my nose and showed them how.

Take a big breath, close your mouth and let it all out your nose. Let them see a tissue move from the breath if you have to. It mostly just takes time for them to understand, but I did nto really try to teach them. They learned from us having to do it all the time and seeing me do it.

You might want to check the following website:
http://www.associatedcontent/article/396130/teach_a_child.... It might prove to be very helpful to you.

As soon as he understands you and can follow simple instructions. Have him gently blow air through his nostrils as a demonstration. First you do it to show him how it's done. Put his finger up to your nose and let him feel the air come out (gently). Then let him do it and you feel his air. When he gets this right, then ask him to blow hard into the kleenex. It worked for all three of my kids.

You can start as soon as you can communicate with them. When they start doing little commands that you make. My kids learned in their first year close to 2 yrs old. just show them how to breathe thru their nostrils and not their mouth and they'll understand quickly what your trying when you get them to blow in the kleenex.

my son was 11 months when he started to blow his nose. i hope this will help you out...

Both of my boys have hated the bulb since the day they were born! LOL (It's inherrent in almost all kiddo's...)

Now my little one is 2 1/2, and he will almost always go get the tissues himself, and try to blow. But what I do if he is having trouble, is to help him by holding the tissue on one side of his nose (closing that nostril off), and telling him to BLOW. Then fold the tissue (as for yourself), and do the other side. We've been doing this since he was just about a year and a helf, or so.... Occasionally, when my son is really really "stuffed up", we will still have to use the bulb to "clear him out".

If your son is still "really little", he's just not going to have much choice but to put up with the bulb until he is able to "Blow" on his own. It may take both you and your DH to do this...one to hold his head still, and the other to use the bulb to clear out his nose.

Also, don't forget to buy a new bulb at least once a month, expecially if you are using it OFTEN. Wash it THOROUGHLY with HOT water and keep squeezing it to make sure you have cleaned all of the "gunk" out, because you don't want to re-infect your son.

Good Luck with this!
~J.~
____@____.com

My kids are 10 and 11 and they STILL don't know how to properly blow their noses. I have no idea where I went wrong here! :)

I started teaching my daughter at around 9 or 10 months old. She would mimic me but she would blow air from her mouth instead of her nose. I knew it wouldn't be long before she got the hang of it. One day, she was blowing air through her mouth and just happened to let a little bit of air come through her nose. I cheered and clapped and then she understood what to do.

i also agree by telling them and allowing them to follow instuctions, but for some reason that is hard for your child do to, which only you know, then tell them to watch how you do it.
then hold the kleenex up to their little nose and tell them to blow... after they do that for a while, then tell them to go get the kleenex and blow thier nose, they may use alot of kleenex but that ok, for they are learning how.

My oldest gd learn at a young age, the youngest gd has trouble in understanding and took her longer to learn.

just keep working with him until he knows how to do it, and you may have to hold the kleenex for him each time, until he does....

Somewhere close to age 2 -- or about the time the nose bulb is actually too small for their little nostril. My son is 2 1/2 now and is pretty good at it.

I hate snotty noses! I worked in a daycare while pregnant with my son and was amazed that very few, if any, of the 3 year old class could blow their own noses. EWwwwwwww!! I taught my kiddos from about a year old to blow. Granted, they were not very good at doing it all by themselves and not simply blowing the mucus out the other side of the tissue and all over their hands. They mastered keeping the mucus in the tissue somewhere between ages three and four. However, it is a lifesaver to have toddler who can at least blow into a tissue for you and clean out their sinuses so you are not wiping noses constantly all day.

Good luck! You will appreciate the work now in teaching him for the benefits down the road! Wow...what a profoundly silly statement I just made. Doesn't that hold true for all things in raising a child. Tee hee. :)

Hello A.!

I started teaching my 2 yr old DD to blow her nose around 18 mths or so.(she as well HATED the nose bulb) I think once they are able to follow simple instructions then you should'nt have an issue. It took her a while but she finally got the hang of it. Now she'll get her own tissue and attempt to blow her nose all by her self. How old is your child? Good luck. Give him some time, he'll get the hang of it!!

I taught my daughter to blow her nose as soon as she could understand and follow simple directions... maybe 18 months or so? She didn't get really good at it for quite some time, but it was a start.

Good luck!