Ok, this is just ridiculous!

[TeDo]

Sorry if I gross anyone out but this is bugging me. easy child/difficult child has always had a thing about blowing his nose. He HATES it but will usually do it if I get mad. difficult child has always had a hard time blowing when it's plugged. He just never seems to be able to get enough "oomph" behind it to accomplish much.

That said, they have both had a stuffy nose for a couple days now. I am tired of listening to them sniffle through meals and movies. Today, I've had enough. We came home from church, they both did their chores and asked if they could go see if friends could play. I said "As soon as you blow your nose clean." difficult child's response was, very clamly, "guess I'm staying home today" to which I replied simply that it's his choice. easy child/difficult child throws a fit about how stupid that is and what does blowing your nose have to do with playing, and on and on and on. 20 minutes later, easy child/difficult child comes and asks me if he can go see if a specific friend can play. I repeat "as soon as you blow your nose" to which he mutters (loudly on the way out of the room) about how stupid it is. difficult child has not said a word.

I wonder how long they will keep this up, before boredom sets in and they are DYING to do something. It's been 45 minutes so far and the clock is still ticking. . . . .

 

[DammitJanet]

And they are how old? LOL

Isnt this something kids learn very early??? I dont think boys particularly think much about it nor do they care much about what they blow on...but they can normally blow well. If they cant get up the umph to blow, I might ask their pediatrician. Does the tissue irritate their noses maybe? I do like Puffs plus myself when I have a bad cold and have a really runny nose so my nose doesnt get sore. Other than that, Keyana has been able to blow pretty well herself for at least a year or more. Now I do check before we leave the house to make sure she is clean but...that is just normal I think.

 

[keista]

Oh if they are anything like mine, this will keep up until the congestion/sniffles pass. For my girls, it's cleaning their room, and so far no type of grounding gets them motivated to do it. This past winter they went over 6 weeks without computer because they refused to clean their room.

Have you tried netti pots? It might be weird and gross enough for boys to actually enjoy it. Just a thought.

 

[TeDo]

Janet, that is all we use is Puffs Plus all the time. They are 13 and yes, I have pointed out, especially to easy child/difficult child, some other MUCH younger kids that blow without a temper tantrum (literally point it out every time we see a young one blowing no matter where we're at). I know when he does blow, he kind of does this "heebie-jeebie shiver thing" like something slimy just went down his back. It might be a sensory thing but not sure how to get past it. As for difficult child, yes the pediatrician has been consulted. difficult child is 13 but only weighs 60 lbs and has little muscle development. He can blow when it's kind of loose but not when it's plugged.

Keista, what are "netti pots"? I am thinking about going and getting some nasal saline rinse and a baby nose syringe and threaten to take care of the problem FOR them. UGH.

 

[keista]

Netti pots are a "nasal irrigation system". Essentially what you are threatening - the nasal saline rinse and the suction thing, but no suction. I haven't tried it yet, but my sister SWEARS by them. She says that she even feels less aggravated by allergies if she uses this thing on a regular basis - once a week or so.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/sinus-pain-pressure-9/neti-pots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neti_pot

You can find them at most drug stores

If easy child/difficult child does a heebie- jeebie kind of thing for blowing it may not be an option, but you really never know what "turns boys on" If you haven't already, go on the mantra that if he doesn't want it to come out because it's "gross" why would he want to keep it in?????????? Yech!

 

[HaoZi]

Nasal irrigation is NOT fun and it's pretty nasty. Do it even slightly wrong angle and you've got all that nastiness running down the back your throat along with the saline. *gag*

 

[keista]

Yeah, but if you don't blow your nose, all that nastiness is STILL running down your throat. Yech, yech.

 

[TeDo]

difficult child gave in and did the best he could (still pretty plugged) after an hour and a half. easy child/difficult child finally JUST (two and a half hours later) gave in reluctantly but who cares. They are both happy and with their friends. Chalk another one up to Mom! Once again, I didn't cave but do you think they will remember that NEXT time..... Not on your life!

 

[ksm]

Sometimes, when I am stuffy - it just doesn't work to blow. And blowing too hard can cause problems too. It can actually casue more problems. My husband blows his nose like a fog horn - and often ends up with sinus infections. Here is what I found on line... Nose Blowing 101....

How to Correctly Blow Your Nose
Sometimes, though, the relief that comes from blowing your nose may be enough for you to risk a potentially longer cold duration. When you do blow your nose, there is a proper technique that can both minimize the risk of mucus traveling back up your sinuses and reduce your risk of injury.

When you consider that adults blow their noses an average of 45 times a day during the first three days of a cold, proper technique could make all the difference.

• Blow your nose gently. Blowing too hard creates even more pressure that can force infectious mucus into your ears and sinuses.
• Avoid the "both-nostrils-open" blow. Instead ...
• Press a finger over one nostril.
• Gently blow your nose into a paper tissue through the one open nostril.
• Switch your finger to close the opposite nostril, and repeat.
• Although you will feel most "stuffed-up" when you first wake up (after lying flat all night), don't blow your nose immediately. It's best to wait five or 10 minutes after you've been sitting upright before doing so.
• Drink plenty of fluids. This will make it easier for mucus to be removed by blowing gently. Blowing your nose after taking a steamy shower can also help.
• Use paper tissues rather than cloth handkerchiefs. A used handkerchief is a breeding ground for germs -- and when you reuse it you're spreading those germs around your face and hands.
• Only use a paper tissue once, then throw it away. This minimizes the risk of putting germs back onto your face and hands.
• Wash your hands when you're finished, as germs from your nose and tissue will be transferred to your fingers while you blow.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/127826


Hope this helps.... KSM

 

[donna723]

My son was exactly like that about blowing his nose! When he was little it was an endurance thing, me vs. him. I'd stand there holding a Kleenex over his nose while he cried and blew out teeny tiny little puffs of air into the Kleenex. Or he'd try to make the sound with his mouth to fake me out. With him, he had a lot of problems with his ears and we finally figured out that it hurt his ears A LOT when he blew his nose. And I hate to rain on your parade but my son is thirty now and he's still not big on blowing his nose! He uses all kinds of nasal sprays and allergy medications and only blows his nose when he absolutely has to. And when he does do it, he does it very gently and very carefully.

 

[DammitJanet]

Maybe there is something physical going on. Most kids will just do it natural if they are okay with it. They may not like the feel of something over their faces when they are little but they learn to just go with the flow so to speak. Maybe a medication to dry things up would help.

 

[susiestar]

There are two systems to rinse your nose - neti pots and the sinus irrigation bottle. I cannot stand the neti pot because you have to let gravity pull the water down into your nose. The rinse bottle is better for me because you bend over the sink and squeeze this special bottle and it goes up into your nose and then comes out. Many who have neti pots do them in the shower, or so I have been told. My mom got one and ended up with snotty water all over her bathroom floor because she didn't do it in the shower. She had seen my bottle (sold at stores everywhere - neilmed is the company and they make both the pot and the bottle and also the packets to buffer the water so it doesn't burn) and thought it was the same thing. With the rinse bottle the water and snot comes out into the sink because you are bent over.

My sons both used to LOVE to watch. thank you cannot blow well and never could and the rinse bottle makes him vomit. Part of his problem is in his hands, they don't bend normally when doing things - hard to explain but they work funny. Occupational Therapist (OT) type issues mostly.

The little salt packets are expensive, in my opinion esp for what they are. I use the 8oz adult bottle and mix 3 t salt and 1 t baking soda in a container. 1/8th of a tsp is the same as one adult packet and works fine in either the neti pot or the rinse bottle. For the 4 oz pediatric bottle it is 1/2 of 1/8 tsp. Do NOT use reg tap water - the chlorine is awful in your nose even with the buffer.

Another thing that might be handy is to get a package of boogie wipes. Some mom created them - they are wipes with saline on them for stuffed up, crusty, or sore noses. I have seen them in sams and walmart and walgreens. I go for the 3ply sam's club brand tissues when we have colds. I like them better than puffs because they don't leave as much lint and even wtih the hard to find 3 ply puffs my husband uses 3 tissues at a time (he is afraid to get snot on his hand I guess, seems dumb to me).

 

[HaoZi]

I have the bottle rather than the netti pot. I hardly use it because I'm one of those people that chokes and gags when I get water in my nose. Frankly, even at my age I still can't clear my nose well. I can always feel it in my sinuses, sometimes even backed up in my ears if it's really bad. Usually just my sinuses. To get things moving? Spicy stuff.

 

[susiestar]

If it is backed up into your ears, try laying on your side and putting a few drops of peroxide into your ear. Let it fizz (sounds like fireworks) until it stops and then turn over and do the other ear. It makes a HUGE difference.

Another thing that can help is Ayr saline nasal gel. Put a little bit on a qtip up inside your nose. It can help loosen things up and keep scabs from happening if the mucus is clogged up there for long.

I will say that I will NEVER us those suction things on anyone again. We used them a lot iwth Wiz but then I tried a clean one on myself - OMG I have NEVER felt such an awful sensation in my life. ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK.

WHen their noses are runny OR plugged up - keep mucinex in their system. The instant release type is vastly cheaper than the brand name extended release and it makes a HUGE difference. If works for both runny and plugged because it makes the snot less sticky and easier to get out. Decongestants just make it thinner and antihistamines make it thicker/drier. Guaifenicine, the ingredient in mucinex is the old robitussin that Mom used to pour down you. It makes nose blowing MUCH easier for those with problems. Sam's Club has it incredibly cheap for the instant release kind and it works.

 

[ML]

Well I too have an almost 13 year old difficult child with AS and so I get how stubborn they can be. It must be sensory. When he was younger I used to take a tissue and go digging for the junk and pull it out. He still tells people how his crazy mom used to pick his nose. You can see that I get your frustration lol. But at this age picking his nose is no longer an option. Luckily the allergy pills he takes keeps him pretty dry in that respect.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well we can see the old adage is true...you can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, but you cant pick your friends noses!

Maybe we should make that Kids noses...lol.

 

[ML]

Lol

 

[Shari]

Fwiw, I have had major sinus problems all of my life. It wasn't until I had sinus surgery 3 years ago before I had enough benefit from blowing my nose to understand why people even attempted it. Now, tho my sinus is 300% better than it was? I still have 1mm on one side and 3mm on the other. So if my sinuses are even slightly irritated, (which is all the time), I am blocked and no amount of blowing will ever make it better.