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Blowing your nose can seem quite simple when you are an adult. However it can be a hard task for children to learn. Teaching your child to blow their nose can help keep their ears healthy. The Audiologists at Sydney Local Health District suggest trying these activities with your child to help them learn.

• Blowing bubbles through a straw into a small tub of food colouring, detergent and water. When you have lots of bubbles you can print your bubbles onto a sheet of paper
• Blowing bubbles through a bubble maker. You can make your own by using a piece of wire or pipe cleaner. You can also make your own bubble mix. Just add 2/3 cup of dishwashing liquid and 1 tablespoon of glycerine (you can buy this from the chemist) to 4.5 litres of water. Allow the mixture to stand overnight
• Blowing out candles
• Blowing up balloons
• Blowing ping pong balls across a table, along a track or up a hill

When your child is able to blow things with their mouth then they are ready to learn to use their nose.

No tissues are needed at first. Just cover your child's mouth and ask them to blow from their nose. This will help them understand that air comes from their nose. Once they can blow from their mouth and nose they are ready to use a tissue.

When your child is confident blowing with their mouth and nose, ask them to blow using one nostril at a time. This will help improve your child's hearing health.

Washing your hands is one of the best ways to stay healthy and avoid getting sick. If your child doesn't like washing their hands, there are some things that you can do to make it a fun activity.

• Sing a song - songs like 'Happy Birthday' or short nursery rhymes are perfect for washing hands. This is the amount of time needed to properly wash hands and get rid of any germs.
• Tell them good things - if your child washes their hands after doing something like blowing their nose, let them know that they have done something good for their health.
• Don't just talk the talk. Walk the walk - your child learns from the things that you do. If you want your child to wash their hands, make sure you do too.

For more information on keeping little hands clean, click here.

Breastfeeding your baby can help protect them against infections like middle ear disease. Click on the links below to find out more.

• Breastfeeding and immunity, Australian Breastfeeding Association
• How your baby's immune system develops, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby
• Breastfeeding, World Health Organisation - this link talks about immunity, as well as other benefits of breastfeeding.