Useful Things. Syringe

After the birth of our son many new things appeared in our apartment.

Some of them have not been used at all like, for example, the anatomic seat for the baby’s bath – Arseny did not like it. Others, on the contrary, were enjoyed by all of us at first glance use and have become an essential part of our life (I am speaking about the rocking-chair here). Some things were not used according to what they are meant for but were appropriate for other activities. The baby’s bath and the pram (its main part) became a storage for toys and a bottle with olive oil for the massage lives in the foam-plastic thermos for baby’s bottles due to which 1) the bottle with oil has become non-transparent for the vitamins to be preserved and 2) it can be dropped onto the floor now .

By the way, to find new functions of things is one of my favourite activities. The thing which turned to have the largest number of functions in my parental practice is a… syringe. An ordinary, medical syringe without the needle. I think many of you will agree that it is a great thing.

Here is my list of how to use it when taking care of the child (and of myself as well):

1) To give medicine to the baby. Behind the cheek. It was the only possible way starting from our son’s birth till he turned 6 months old.

2) To clean the baby’s nose with salty water. The main thing is to do it very carefully for the stream not to be strong (otherwise, it can get into the baby’s ears).

3) To fill the syringe with oil – very handy. Then there is no danger to overturn the bottle with oil, it’s easy to measure the oil and you can also allow the baby to play with the syringe (if he has not learnt how to press the piston yet). And if he has, you can quickly spread all the oil on the baby’s skin and give him an empty syringe (or just put the latter into your pocket, quickly).

4) You can give the syringe to your little one as a toy. When he is taking a bath – it is much fun to sprinkle the baby with water and give him a chance to press the piston, too.

5) To put drops of ghi with camphor into one’s nose (melted butter with some camphor – very healthy for the mucous of one’s nose). After you have prepared ghi you can fill many syringes with it and put all of them except one into the freezer. The one you have left can be placed onto the warm radiator (in cold seasons) – ghi will be always ready for usage and will not have time to get spoilt if the syringe is not big.

One may even not mention that items 1,3 and 5 suit adults as well. I found the best way how to use the syringe – for myself: with its help it is very handy to put oil (coconut, almond or bur) onto the skin of your head (which is very healthy to do at least once a week). Especially if your hair is long – in this case it is very difficult to do it by any other way. But with the syringe – just several movements and that’s it!

I am sure there are lots of other ways how to use the syringe. It would be interesting to collect as many as possible after this article. If you have any idea, you can write it down in the comments.

And what children’s things have You used “not in their direct way”?

Natalie

You can read this article in Russian here.

Next time you will learn how to entertain a 12-month toddler not standing up from the armchair.