To pick, or not to pick

by andrea

I’m about to broach a taboo subject, so if your sensibilities are easily offended I recommend you avert your eyes. That being said, as a parent, you've probably already dealt with this. And worse.

It was Helene's post from a while back that first got me thinking (only tangentially related but I still chuckle about it), but it was my daughter's early morning entry into our bedroom recently that solidified this dispatch.

"MUMMY," she said, in her whisper-that-is-really-a-scream.

"Mmmm?"
"There's a CRUSTY IN MY NOSE."

She made several pronounced sniffs to demonstrate her inability to breathe clearly.

Wearily, I reached over for a Kleenex and held it to her nose. She blew. It was a dry sound, a preschool-sized tornado blowing through empty sails. Nothing. She blew again. And again. Nothing.

"MUMMY!" she whispered in her whisper-that-is-really-a-wail. "IT'S NOT WORKING."

So there I lay, practically comatose with fatigue. What was I supposed to do? Sarah was too old for the nasal aspirator (an item I recommend for new parents … just don't do as my husband did and blow the contents of the kid's nose up into the brain instead of sucking it out) but really, what other choice did we have here? This crusty was a stubborn one. Irretrievably clinging to her cute little nasal passage!

I was very close to instructing her to take care of it herself by any means necessary (i.e. telling her to pick her nose).

It's not a topic that's openly broached by the parenting experts. I know it's not good. Fingers + mucous membranes = germs and illness. And, let's face it, it's gross. But here's the rub: we all do it at some point. And don't say you don't, because I'll know you're lying. If you still insist, I'll just make you swear on a stack of bibles, your mother's virtue, and your favourite pair of underwear. And I'll still think you’re lying.

So what's our nosepicking rule? (1) it's way better to use a tissue, and if repeated attempts of solid elephant-like blowing fail (2) make sure no one is around to see you.

As it turned out this morning, Sarah made her way around to daddy's side of the bed (he's always backup) and handed him the tissue. His technique is to give the nose a little wiggle to loosen the contents. It did the trick. Crusty dislodged.

Comments

[Robin P]

I remember when Lillianna was very young and her nose would be crusty, I would get a tissue and just clean out her little nose in whatever way I could. On occasion I had to use my long fingernail (the baby finger of course)to get stubborn problems. Rich would look sick and walk away. I know how to wash my hands. It's not a big deal!! Men!

[Goldberry]

I have discovered that if you twist the tissue until it's thin and snakelike, then only place it up the nose just a tad and twist a little 9 times out of 10 you will retrieve the "crusty" without actually needing to touch it.