Boogie Wipes’ Tips for Mastering the Art of Nose Blowing
When you become a parent you quickly learn there are many skills you take for granted on a daily basis that you are now responsible for teaching your little one. Something as simple as knowing how to blow your nose seems like an easy task for an adult, but it can be as complicated as learning a foreign language for a toddler. Start trying to explain exactly how this task is executed and you will quickly find yourself overly frustrated and dealing with a distracted and cranky child that never wants a tissue near his or her nose again.
Rather than creating an uphill battle for yourself as a mom or dad, Boogie Wipes has created a list of tried and true tips from parenting veterans that you can use to help your child master the skill of nose blowing.
1. Ditch the tissue. It is best to take teaching nose blowing in phases. Rather than overwhelming your child with a tissue in his or her face, capitalize on other opportunities to familiarize your child with the meaning of blowing air through the nose. Oftentimes, children will quickly inhale and exhale air through their noses when excited. Get your child excited with a toy or funny face and when he or she starts to blow out puffs of air, give praise and congratulate him or her using the specific phrase you plan on saying when you want your child to blow into a tissue. Doing this on a regular basis will help children learn what blowing a nose means, li
ke they learn how to wave or give a high-five.
2. Take advantage of bath time. Bath time is prime time to introduce your children to the idea of what it feels like to blow air through their nose and how to do it on demand. Have your child put his or nose just below the surface of the water and blow bubbles using only the nose.
3. Use a mirror. While you might know that blowing your nose causes something to happen, it can be a hard concept for children to grasp. They may not know that a sneeze makes it easier for them to breathe and that something actually comes out of their nose when it is blown. Have your child stand in front of the mirror the next time he or she has a stuffy nose, and although it may be gross, have him or her blow until they can see the mucus coming out.
4. Set up a racetrack. Another way to make learning to blow air out of the nose fun is to set up a simple racetrack on your kitchen table. Create a start and finish line and line up two light weight objects like a sequin, the corner of a piece of paper or a feather. Have your child position his or her face level with the table, you do the same, and then race to see who can blow their object across the finish line, using only your noses, first.
5. Make it their responsibility. Just like learning how to tie shoelaces is an accomplishment children look forward to conquering, mastering nose blowing can make your child feel just as important if you set it up properly. Get as creative as you want and present your child with a special handkerchief, decorated box of tissues or moist nose wipes he or she can use for nose blowing whenever needed. Or, let your kids decorate the box of tissues or wipes themselves and challenge them to be able to blow their noses without help by the time the box runs out.
