When I was a kid, I remember my mum used to have those little cotton buds to clean our ears!  They seemed to be a stable in every UK home.  Thankfully they seem to have gone out of fashion which is better for the environment and for our poor ears!  So, what can you do instead? this post gives you a few pointers on how you can go about taking care of your child’s ears.

Ear Wax

I think most people used to be happy to see just how much ear wax those cotton buds could clean up in one go!  It’s a bit gross really but strangely satisfying somehow!  However apparently ear wax is a good thing.  We need some to protect the ear canal.  Ear wax stops it drying out and getting itchy!  It also stops germs making their way into our ear.  So, cleaning every little bit of ear wax out of your child’s ears is not a good thing!  It means they don’t have that natural barrier.

Anyway you need to think up alternatives from 2020 plastic cotton buds will be banned in the UK!  You can still get bamboo cotton buds which can be recycled but do you even need these?

Ears Are Self-Cleaning

Ears are actually self-cleaning.  You don’t need to think about them much, not like you do with brushing your teeth.  Wax slowly makes its way out of the ear, if you go in guns blazing with a cotton bud, thing might not end so well.

Of course, if your child is finding it hard to hear then you might want to seek professional advice and book an ear wax removal.  Don’t be tempted to use those cotton buds under any circumstances, most likely you will just push the wax further into the ear canal!  You don’t want to risk injuring your child.  You can use a washcloth to keep the outside of the ear clean.  But try and remember how much good ear wax does.

Something Stuck In The Ear

Your child might get something stuck in their ear, which is surprisingly common as they tend to always stick things in their ear, nose or mouth!  It’s all part of the curiosity of growing up!  But an item in the ear can damage the ear drum so you do need to act promptly.  If your child is uncomfortable and in pain get medical advice.  Fortunately, my boys didn’t get anything stuck in their ears, although my youngest did stick a bit of packaging up his nose once!  So, I can see how it can happen.

Ear Defenders

Don’t forget to protect your child’s ears if you are going to a noisy event like the fireworks!  Just like you would if you were doing renovation work!  It’s very easy for children’s hearing to be damaged with loud sounds.

Hopefully you will feel a bit more confident taking care of your child’s ears now.