How to teach a child to blow their nose

Nasal aspirators are very convenient and widely used to help newborns and infants to clear their nose. However, older children should be taught how to blow their nose as early as possible. Exercising in front of a mirror and blowing bubbles, candles, or feathers may be helpful with that

Blowing your nose is simply a way to clean it in order to breathe more freely. Remember to blow each nostril separately, since this greatly reduces the risk of nasal discharge reaching your sinuses and even further into the Eustachian tube. What's more, blowing out residual secretion helps prevent infections, so it's important to teach your child how to take care of their nose.  

The function of the nasal cavity and the consequences of its obstruction 

Breathing is not the only function performed by the nose. It also helps purify, heat, and properly moisten the inhaled air, so that the risk of infection is lowered. When your nose is blocked, it becomes impossible for it to clean, moisten, or warm the inhaled air. It then causes you to breathe through your mouth, and the unheated air rushes straight into your throat, contributing to respiratory infections and causing throat or larynx inflammation.  

If your nose is constantly blocked, you are in turn constantly exposed to infections and long-lasting colds. In addition, such a situation can cause a child to grow a third tonsil, which leads to otitis. So teaching your child to blow their nose can save them from frequent illnesses and feeling unwell. 

Teaching a child to blow their nose - where to start? 

There is no way for newborns and infants to learn how to blow the nose, so mums most often use nasal syringes or aspirators to help their babies. For older children, it is usually a good idea to start helping them blow their nose as soon as possible. In some cases, even a 2-year-old can learn to blow their nose, however other children might need a little more time, so be patient and give your child enough time to master this activity. It is a good idea to start teaching your child to blow their nose when they are healthy and don't have a runny nose. It will be much easier for you to explain to them (and for them to feel) that the air is supposed to be inhaled and exhaled through the nose. It is worth having a few accessories prepared, because, as you probably know already, the best way to learn is through play!  

Nasal tips

First and foremost - paper tissues! Those in colorful packaging, with a favorite hero or pet, are sure to be more appealing to your child. 

Make sure your child understands why they are learning to blow their nose. You can start the exercises by blowing their mouth (making bubbles in a glass of water with a straw is a great exercise for that; an alternative loved by children might be blowing soap bubbles, or blowing out candles). Your child needs to know the difference between blowing their mouth and blowing their nose. 

Pieces of crepe paper, cotton wool, feathers, or anything that is light and easy to blow off will come in handy when teaching them how to blow their little nose. 

Pretend with them that you are blowing dandelions, leaves, clouds, etc. 

A mirror. It is worth showing the child the vapor that settles on the mirror’s surface while exhaling.  

Show your baby how you yourself exhale through your nose. The child will not only see what the activity looks like but out of curiosity might want to try to do it themselves. 

If your child has trouble blowing their nose due to airway obstruction, try thinning the mucus with physiological or sea saline. 

Remember to practice blowing one hole at a time. 

Praise and support them, learning how to blow one's nose is not always easy. 

When your child masters cleaning their nose, it is worth paying attention to matters related to hygiene, i.e. throwing used tissues into the trash and washing hands afterward, to prevent spreading germs. 

The ability to blow one’s nose 

Once your child has mastered the simple blowing exercises, it's a good idea to do a 'dress rehearsal' and see how they handle real nose blowing. It is worth remembering that one of the nostrils should be blocked and explaining to the child why it is so important that they learn to blow their nose on their own so that they can treat any annoying runny nose that might be bothering them in the future. You can also show your child how the nose is built and what a runny nose is. 

Learning to blow their nose is a challenge for both the child and their parents. It is worth introducing this activity as soon as possible so that the child can become familiar with it and master it over time. Remember that practice makes perfect, and each one of us once had to learn how to blow their nose.