Tips for scream-free splinter removal
Plus, the most interesting parenting articles from around the web this week.
Usually when you do something to help another person you can expect a “thank you” in return – or at the very least, a smile.
But as parents we have to get used to many of our acts of kindness going unthanked and often actually being met with resentment.
Trying to remove a splinter from a tiny finger or toe is a prime example. You’re doing it for their own good, but try telling your child that as they furiously snatch their hand away with a look of pure exasperation.
To be fair, it is easy to understand their annoyance. They’ve just told you that their toe hurts and now you’re trying to squeeze it – Why?! Why on earth would you do such a thing?!
Picture Credit: Photo by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash
It can be tempting to just leave it alone and hope for the best. But splinters can cause discomfort and may become infected, so if it is just under the skin and you think you could remove it with tweezers, then this is one of those occasions when you’ve got to be cruel to be kind.
When my son got his first splinter I went on a fruitless Google search for advice. I found lots of old wives’ tales involving banana peel and baking powder - none of which I could get to work.
I should have known that the best place to go to for practical advice was, of course, other parents, who have already battled this problem and found their own ways of making removing a splinter from a small wriggly child less of an impossible task.
When I asked for advice on Twitter, I quickly received three tips that were far more useful than anything I’d found via a search engine:
1. A Soothing Soak
“Put them in the bath, the splinter will either come out in the bath or be easier to pull out if you try when they get out,” says Kate Scott-Clarke.
2. Plunge It Out
Morna Bunce says you should place a “Calpol syringe over the splinter and ‘plunge’ it out”. She says this technique has worked in the past when removing splinters from both her toddler and her husband.
3. It Was All A Dream
“Wait until they’re asleep, hasn’t failed me yet,” says Antonia Gardner. “My daughter actually asks me to do it while she’s asleep still and she’s seven!”
(This is also the technique I swear by when cutting my toddler’s tiny fingernails.)
A Word To The Wise
Whether you’re doing it after a bath or when they’re asleep, make sure you follow St John Ambulance’s advice on how to remove a splinter with tweezers to reduce the risk of infection. If the splinter is deep in the skin and difficult to remove (even when your child is calm and compliant), then it should be left in place until you can seek medical help.
Can You Help With A Little Thing?
An upcoming issue of The Little Things will focus on how to make vaccinations less stressful for babies, children and their parents! Do you have any advice to share? If so, you could help other mums and dads who are struggling with this problem by replying to this email with your tips. Thank you :)
Little Loves
If your child is as obsessed with cars and fire engines as mine currently is, then you may be interested to know that Sainsbury’s has currently reduced the price of a whole load of Chad Valley sets. You can get 5 packs of emergency vehicles, service vehicles, construction vehicles and racing cars for £3.75 each (reduced from £5).
Little Lowdown
From the shocking healthcare racism endangering Black mothers to the issues caused by a lack of Black sperm donors and difficulties finding compatible childcare: Black Ballad’s takeover of HuffPost UK shone a light on the experiences of Black mothers living in Britain today. I would highly recommend taking the time to explore all the content, but one article I found particularly moving was Tobi Oredein’s account of giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic, and how she had to mentally rehearse the “not so pleasant things” she would have to deal with during pregnancy.
40 charities, including the NCT, have raised concerns that support for babies has gone unmentioned in the government’s plans to replace Public Health England with a new National Institute for Health Protection. Campaign group the First 1,001 Days Movement has called for Matt Hancock to clarify the organisation’s role in supporting babies and new mothers.
If you’ve got half-full tubs of Sudocrem lying around the house, you might be intrigued to know why Sophie Gallagher considers it her skincare secret. She’s written an ‘ode to the little grey tub’ in The Independent.
If you’ve been worried about your baby or toddler not mixing with other children during lockdown then you may find it reassuring that consultant clinical psychologist Emma Citron says it’s unlikely to cause problems. “It’s very important for babies to have contact with people, but it doesn’t matter if they don’t have contact with other babies,” she says. Plus there’s lots of useful advice for people with children of all ages in this Guardian feature on how to parent through a pandemic by Joanna Moorhead.
About Me
I’m Ellen Wallwork, a sleep-deprived mum-of-one, incessant worrier and freelance journalist. I’ve been writing about parenting for more years than I care to remember and previously launched the Parents section on HuffPost UK. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (but be warned, I’m not a prolific poster).
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Disclaimer: This newsletter does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The use of any information contained in this newsletter is solely at your own risk.