Nose-blowing may not be the first skill we think about when we are considering what to teach our child, but many of us have found ourselves in the situation where our child has a head cold or runny nose but are unable to blow their nose. We know that if they blew their nose they would feel much better. When we try to get them to blow, often they will sniff instead
We will go through some steps that can hopefully teach your child nose-blowing.
*It is best to teach this skill when the child does not have a runny nose and is feeling well. Like with any skill, it is much better to teach a child when they are not unwell.
Teach your child the concept of blowing by blowing with their mouth, firstly. You can start by getting them to blow bubbles, blow out candles, or through straws. Once they have mastered blowing out of their mouth, you can begin with blowing through their nose.
- Hold a tissue in front of your child and ask them make it move by blowing it. They usually will blow through their mouth at this stage.
- Get them to then keep their mouth closed and blow the tissue away again.
- The child can then practice blowing from each nostril, by keeping their mouth closed and holding one nostril closed by their finger. Again, get them to blow the tissue away.
- Final step is to get them to blow into the tissue when it is held over their nose. Depending on the level of assistance needed, either yourself or the child can hold the tissue over their nose and blow again, the same as when they blew the tissue away.
Remember to provide loads of praise when they are successful. We want them to know what a great job they are doing!
Practicing again and again is what makes us succeed, so be sure to provide your child with loads of opportunities to be successful.