Getting a clean nose without a fuss

[Super_mommy]

My son is 4 and has begun to enjoy digging his nose.

When asked not to, he says "Mama I will dig & throw it away"

I once tried to flush his nose with water and he hated it...

Any suggestions on how to get it done without a fuss???

Thank you in advance.

[lonegirl]

Here is a quick article on nose picking I came across.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A9737094

Here is a quote from a section "Occasional Nose-picking

There are, however, more-or-less sensible reasons for nose-picking, such as removal of a crust of dried nasal secretion (pieces of dry nasal secretion are commonly known as 'bogies' or 'boogers', and are sometimes not as dry as assumed) that might be obstructing the nose, hurting, itching or simply hanging out of the nose giving the person wearing it a disadvantageous appearance. In fact, it is often more advisable to remove the dried secretion carefully with a (clean) finger (or a finger wrapped in a handkerchief) than trying to snort it out; snorting involves high pressures in the nasal chambers and it may injure the nasal septum if not performed properly."

[Cherry Alive]

Originally Posted by lonegirl

Here is a quick article on nose picking I came across.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A9737094

Here is a quote from a section "Occasional Nose-picking

There are, however, more-or-less sensible reasons for nose-picking, such as removal of a crust of dried nasal secretion (pieces of dry nasal secretion are commonly known as 'bogies' or 'boogers', and are sometimes not as dry as assumed) that might be obstructing the nose, hurting, itching or simply hanging out of the nose giving the person wearing it a disadvantageous appearance. In fact, it is often more advisable to remove the dried secretion carefully with a (clean) finger (or a finger wrapped in a handkerchief) than trying to snort it out; snorting involves high pressures in the nasal chambers and it may injure the nasal septum if not performed properly."

I actually read this in a great book on how to stop sinus infections. The book mentioned that nose picking is natural as all children start out doing it, and that it makes more sense to teach them when it's appropriate (ex- in private) than to tell them to stop—and that as adults, it is quite healthy as long as your fingers are clean before and after.

[lifeguard]

I would be teaching him to do it in private (& put the boogers somewhere appropriate).

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

What if hes 2, not 4? IS it age appropriate to expect him to know what I am talking about if I say do that in private?

[Dov'sMom]

I have not tried to tell my 3 year old to do it in private, because we are still working on bathroom privacy and there's no need to confuse him. I just tell him it's nicer to do it with a tissue over your finger so your finger doesn't get germy and spread germs where other people could pick them up.

[TortelliniMama]

I tell my kids to do it in the bathroom so they can wash their hands afterward.

[Super_mommy]

Thank you all of you.

The gist of the story is "picking is OK as long as it is in private with a clean finger or a tissue wrapped finger"

Any more suggestions, are welcome...

[indigosky]

I was just about to post this question (regarding my 2 year old) and was glad to see it's already being discussed!

For those of you who have taught your kids that nose-picking is appropriate only in private, does that mean "don't let mom/dad see you do it"? Or does it mean at home with a parent is OK, but not out in public or when grandma/grandpa/babysitter are here?

[JL83]

I think nose picking is one of the most disgusting thing people/children can do. It is not tolerated in our house.

The rules are very simple. Nose picking is something done in the bathroom so that her hands can be washed after. (the rule is that every time we leave the bathroom we wash our hands).

If I catch her picking her nose, touching snot, fingers in her mouth, we go to the bathroom together and wash her hands properly with soap and counting to 30 while she rubs. If we aren't able to get to a bathroom then we use hand sanitizer.

Then we teach the proper thing to do, which is to get a tissue and use that to clear her nose.

We've been doing this since she was ~2 and it's very rare that she forgets and touches her snot. She almost always ask for either a tissue or for help.

[JL83]

Originally Posted by indigosky

I was just about to post this question (regarding my 2 year old) and was glad to see it's already being discussed!

For those of you who have taught your kids that nose-picking is appropriate only in private, does that mean "don't let mom/dad see you do it"? Or does it mean at home with a parent is OK, but not out in public or when grandma/grandpa/babysitter are here?

It's the same thing as "private" for anything else. It means in the bathroom. That's where she's allowed to touch her vulva. That's where she can spit or blow spit bubbles. That's where she can pick her nose.

[indigosky]

Originally Posted by JL83

It's the same thing as "private" for anything else. It means in the bathroom. That's where she's allowed to touch her vulva. That's where she can spit or blow spit bubbles. That's where she can pick her nose.

Interesting. For me, sure, spitting makes sense in the bathroom only. Touching one's vulva is something I teach is fine in the bedroom, as well, and I have no problem with my two year old touching or looking at her vulva in her bedroom while I'm present -- she does it the same way she studies the scab on her knee and examines between her own toes. If she were actually masturbating/self-pleasuring, I'd say that may be different. But at 2, what I see is just basic body curiosity -- for me that's totally appropriate in one's bedroom with only a parent present. (Hey, I touch her vulva every time I change her diaper.)

But the fingers-in-the-nose question is interesting to me -- maybe even "privacy" needs to be defined differently for different behaviors (at least in our household). Never really thought about it before...

[liliaceae]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

What if hes 2, not 4? IS it age appropriate to expect him to know what I am talking about if I say do that in private?

I don't think it's age appropriate to expect a 2 year old to pick his nose only in private.

Originally Posted by JL83

.....counting to 30 while she rubs.

Aren't you supposed to count to 20 while washing hands?

[JL83]

Originally Posted by indigosky

Interesting. For me, sure, spitting makes sense in the bathroom only. Touching one's vulva is something I teach is fine in the bedroom, as well, and I have no problem with my two year old touching or looking at her vulva in her bedroom while I'm present -- she does it the same way she studies the scab on her knee and examines between her own toes. If she were actually masturbating/self-pleasuring, I'd say that may be different. But at 2, what I see is just basic body curiosity -- for me that's totally appropriate in one's bedroom with only a parent present. (Hey, I touch her vulva every time I change her diaper.)

But the fingers-in-the-nose question is interesting to me -- maybe even "privacy" needs to be defined differently for different behaviors (at least in our household). Never really thought about it before...

I don't think we'd have a problem if she wanted to look at her vulva in her room. It hasn't come up yet. Mainly she wants to look at it/touch when she's on the toilet. So then it's been natural for her to be in the bathroom and wash her hands after. She's been potty trained since well before 2, so I don't think she remembers us touching her vulva.

And, if it came down to it, I wouldn't have an issue with her picking her nose in her bedroom as long as she washed her hands after and didn't touch anything between her bedroom and the bathroom. But that seems unlikely to be successful, so the bathroom is where it's at for now. Once she starts coming up with "alternatives" then we'll go from there.

[JL83]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

I don't think it's age appropriate to expect a 2 year old to pick his nose only in private.

I think it is age appropriate to start teaching them to do so in private. Just because they won't remember every time or even really at all in the beginning, that doesn't mean you won't get anywhere by trying. There are lots of things that aren't "age appropriate" to expect a 2yo to do perfectly but we still teach them. Like we don't let 2yos hit everyone even though it's "age appropriate". We teach them what the proper behavior is.

Aren't you supposed to count to 20 while washing hands?

I figure that since she's a small child, a few extra seconds doesn't hurt especially since we're still working on getting between the fingers and the backs of the hands and there's some time lost with reminding her and helping.