Stubborn

So how do you get a child to blow their nose when they don't want to? :cry:

Royce hasn't blown his nose in months. I ask him if he wants to blow his nose and he says "No." He might wipe his nose if something is dripping down, but he will not blow out into a kleenex. I've tried bribery, nagging, asking him if he wants to do it tomorrow, then tomorrow he says "no". This is the same issue with peeing on the potty. He doesn't want to do that either. He can do it, he's done it before, just doesn't want to.

So anyway, back to the boogers. He had a cold last week, and he threw up snot several times. I went to the store to get saline spray and a booger sucker since he refuses to blow his nose, and he puked all in my car :bad: . So now we have a pukey, snotty kid who refuses to blow his nose. Put the saline in, suck out the boogers, now I have a screaming, pukey, snotty kid who is pi$$ed off. I've tried telling him that we won't have to do the booger sucker if he blew his nose in the kleenex (nicely of course) and he said that he doesn't want to blow his nose and he doesn't want the booger sucker. I tell him that it's one or the other, and then we have to hold him down and use the booger sucker.

I guess, what would you guys do? I'm tempted to continue to use the booger sucker until he's ready to blow his nose (he has really bad nose bleeds and some sinus issues) but that could take months, and at the same time, I don't want DCF called on me because of how loud he's screaming in our condo. I really don't want him to turn out like my husband who will not blow his nose and just sucks all of the snot in.

 

You can always try reverse psychology. Tell him not to. Don't let him blow his nose. Tell him he cannot, under any circumstances blow his nose. Be nonchalant about it. He may just do it to piss you off-))
Until then the nose sucker is a good idea.

 

I still use the bulb syringe and saline. Mine don't seem to understand how to 'blow' yet. :unknw: AND...yes they hate it, I have to hold them down and it throughly pi$$e$ them off! Luckily, they don't puke from it. Have you tried giving him an option....either blow your nose or I pull out the syringe, it's your choice?

 

Yes and he chooses neither. I asked the daycare yesterday and surprise, he blows his nose there when asked! So this is just stubborness.

 

Yep, sounds like a battle of wills. BUT...neither isn't an option. ardon: It's either you blow your nose or here comes the bulb syringe buster.

 

Yeah, I don't think you can make him blow his nose (or sleep or stand up to get his coat on--but those are my issues). You've inadvertently made this the Alamo of toddlerdom. I'd never mention it and just praise Alice to death. Maybe try some reverse psychology. That works on my stubborn independent little man.