Runny nose season

Ah... the return of Runny Nose Season. If you have toddlers, you know the routine: they know how to use a kleenex, but it's a heck of a lot easier to use a sleeve or (gotta love this one)... the neck of their shirt. Over and over I hear myself saying, "Don't use your shirt, go get a kleenex!" And then they have to stop what they're playing to go find a kleenex, locate a stool to reach the kleenex if necessary, followed by the extra effort of putting the used tissue into a waste basket. Such a bothersome routine!

SO... here'a an idea that's been working around the Cooper household lately: "Private Kleenex" The child with the runny nose gets her own private box of kleenex for the day. Lord knows, thanks to Costco, there are plenty of extra kleenex boxes waiting in the wings at any given time! Then, to solve the "have to find a trash can" problem, I tape a small sandwich baggie to the side of the kleenex box, so upon using a tissue, the runny-nose child can place it into her own personal trash bag. Now, the "private kleenex" and attached trash baggie go with the child to wherever she is playing throughout the day. If I see an attempt at the shirt sleeve, I just remind, "where's your private kleenex?" And she usually stops everything to recall where she was last playing that she may have left her prized possession of the day - - the personal, private kleenex box.

Here's a Dr. Sears article about dosing Benadryl for kids by weight, which is helpful since the bottle itself says "ask a doctor" for kids under age 6...
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T088800.asp