Blow!
Tricks to teach your toddler to blow their nose
It’s that time of year when everyone around seems to have a cold or flu and almost every child you see has snot dribbling out of their nose. Who am I kidding? Snot is a all-year round in our house.
So how to teach a toddler to blow their nose?
1. Get the Feel
First show your toddler how to blow through their mouth. Bubble mix or blowing bubbles in the bath is a great way to get littlies excited. Next, show them how you can blow air from your nose. Bring their finger under your nose, take a breath, close your mouth and blow. Exaggerate your movements and explain as you go. Finally, help your toddler to mimic your actions.
2. Blowing Races
Have a blowing race across a table. Use something lightweight like part of a cotton wool ball or piece of tissue. Put your face level with the table and show your toddler how to blow the object across the table just with your nose. Then turn it into a race to make it more fun. You might have to remind them to close their mouth (that's cheating).
3. Use a Mirror
Show your toddler the snot coming from their nose in the mirror. Kids love all things disgusting and are by nature self-centred so they love looking at themselves in the mirror. Get them to see if they can blow until they can see more snot. This method definitely helped with our 2yr old.
4. Promote Independence
If your toddler is anything like mine, they want to do things themselves. Encourage this as much as you can because it will serve you well in the long run. So if your toddler wants to hold the tissue and blow their nose without your help then let them give it a go. Get them to throw their dirty tissue in the bin. Add a heap of praise, claps and all-round happiness for encouragement and you will have a toddler that won’t run at the first sight of a tissue!
NOTE: Snot is a sign of mucous congestion. This can increase the risk of middle ear infections, not to mention cause pain and discomfort for your child. Blowing your nose helps to relieve the congestion.
Related Children's Books
Blow your nose, Big Bad Wolf! by Steve Smallman
In this twist on the classic tale of the three little pigs, the big bad wolf is misunderstood. All he wants is a tissue. When the pigs won't help him, their houses are blown down by his sneezes. In the end, the pigs learn a lesson about sharing germs when they catch his cold.
