tips on getting 4 yr old to use nebulizer?

groovygrl · September 2013

dd has pneumonia and having trouble clearing it so we started nebulizer treatments yesterday... she hates it of course and freaks out whenever we bring it up, it is torture for everyone. We let her play w/ the ipad, watch whatever she wants, etc but that is not enticing. I told her I'd let her pick out a new app to play whenever she does her treatment and she wants no part of that either. I am at a loss about how to make this easier for her and not have a huge fight multiple times a day...
thanks!

NCMichelle · September 2013

We either let our DD play with play dough or on the Ipad. She's been doing it for years though.... When she was a baby we used to have to hold her on our lap and restrain her. It sucked.

Littlejen22 · September 2013

Let her told it herself if she wants. You can even let ER use a tube and it is fine to put it in her mouth. Or put it in front of her face. Read to her or have her watch TV. Another thing that works well for my kids but not all kids is to do most when sleeping, I sneak in and use my phone for light and put it near their face and just make sure they don't move out of the way.

the_jackpot · September 2013

At 4, you may be able to reason with her. My ds has been using it for a bit but sometimes he has to hear the process....x minutes, before bed w/Momma nearby etc. He also gets to put it on himself,more his pace.

groovygrl · September 2013

Thanks.... finally the 'new' app I got clicked & she stopped fighting me. Now she is asking to do it which is a little suspect, LOL, but I think it is a combination of realizing she feels better after and also enjoying the new app... she woke up at 1am and 5am last night asking for it....which is of course good and bad... hopefully we'll be through this soon

MNgirl326 · September 2013

We call it his steamer, and let him hold it over his face, then we read to him. He used to fight it and we used to have to basically hold him down, but now he is fine with it.