how do you get chapstick on the orally sensative child?

[Anonymous]

His lips have gotten do bad the bleed on a regular basis.

One person suggested use a Q-tip (didn't work). HIs speech therapist tried the "put the chapstick on the doll and play with it" method (didn't work).

The only one that I have heard reliably works is sneeking in his room at night putting it on his lips. I'll try anything at this point, but it sounds so risky. He will loose his mind if I wake him up while putting "slime" on his lips.

[Anonymous]

I have this problem with nose gel and a dried/bloody nose.

You beat me to the punchline though.

I go in first thing in the morning and put it around his nostrils with a q-tip while he is still sleeping. He stirs a bit and even tries to wipe off while half-sleeping, but it's been my only successful method.

[Anonymous]

We just don't put it on. His lips bleed sometimes and then they get better. I don't think it is worth having a fight about. You might try using a humidifier in his room at night.

[Anonymous]

while he's sleeping.

[Anonymous]

OP here,
We do have a humidifier and it hasn't helped at all. it has to with his infantile anorexia, he NEVER asks for water when he's thirsty. When he is at school he only drinks water at lunch. byt the time he gets home he chugs 8oz immediatly when we hand him a cup. We have told everyone that works with him to offer him water but have no confidence anyone does. So the dehydration+cold+wind+was resently sick=angry cracked lips

I should have mentioned he has other issues with eating and brushing his teeth that get exaserbated with his lips this chapped. I was planning on just leaving it alone, until this morning when I gave him his nebs (which you usually finds very relaxing) he screamed in pain. They are really irritated.

I guess I will sneeking in his room tonight!

[Anonymous]

We did it while DS was sleeping. We found vasaline works much better than chapstick. It heals more and it is easy to get on in a quick way. Some nights he rubbed it off becasue we didn't wait long enough, but other nights it helped. Hopefully the weather will turn.

Eventually, he is now 13, he discoverd that vasaline makes him feel better. So part of his night time routine is to put it on his lips every night. However, he also thought it would be good for his zits and he developed a huge one on his chin. At some point I figured it out and introduced him to Stridex wipes so now that it also part of his night time routine.

When he was younger he would have chapped skin all around his mouth. So much that it almost looked like a portwine marking.

[Anonymous]

We also wait until DS is deeply asleep. We apply Aquaphor or chapstick, both work well for DS.

[Anonymous]

OP Again
Thanks again! I have all of those product. I'll try tonight.

[Anonymous]

I use Aquaphor when my son is asleep as well.

[Anonymous]

I put it on while he's in the car seat so I can hold his hands down. He fusses only for a second.

(Now if anyone could tell me how I could get his hair cut....sensory issues suck.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use Aquaphor when my son is asleep as well.

+1

Aquaphor goes on more gently. Just put some on your finger and run it over his mouth when he's asleep. It works better than chapstick as well.

This was my DS when he was younger. They do get over it.

[Anonymous]

OP again

18:59 it took me about 2 years to find a place that could my sons hair. I recently two places in MoCo if that not too far for you. I should mention my son doesn't get violent when it comes to hair cuts. He just really hates and can't tolerate the electric razor. These two places make it as painless as it can get for a sensory sensitive child.

The woman who cuts hair in Kidville in Bethesda is great. It doesn't look like hair cutting place. She knows how to cut hair close to his ears without using an electric razor. There is a TV for him to watch to distract him If the TV is over stimulating she also has a bunch of toys for kids to play with. And she knows that if a child is getting freaked out she stays very calm.

The other place I just tried was Hannah's barbershop is Bethesda. There not a lot of stuff on the walls and it's very open. There is music playing but no TV blaring in the background and they have bunch of toys and books. They are also very calm. They weren't quite as good as Kidville is but sometimes is hard to get an appointment at Kidville.

I hope this helps. By the way I snuck
In his room last night. Worked like a charm! Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again

18:59 it took me about 2 years to find a place that could my sons hair. I recently two places in MoCo if that not too far for you. I should mention my son doesn't get violent when it comes to hair cuts. He just really hates and can't tolerate the electric razor. These two places make it as painless as it can get for a sensory sensitive child.

The woman who cuts hair in Kidville in Bethesda is great. It doesn't look like hair cutting place. She knows how to cut hair close to his ears without using an electric razor. There is a TV for him to watch to distract him If the TV is over stimulating she also has a bunch of toys for kids to play with. And she knows that if a child is getting freaked out she stays very calm.

The other place I just tried was Hannah's barbershop is Bethesda. There not a lot of stuff on the walls and it's very open. There is music playing but no TV blaring in the background and they have bunch of toys and books. They are also very calm. They weren't quite as good as Kidville is but sometimes is hard to get an appointment at Kidville.

I hope this helps. By the way I snuck
In his room last night. Worked like a charm! Thanks again.

Glad it worked! Yeah for small victories. The comments about haircuts reminded me of the time one of DC's classmates in preschool came in on Monday with a half haircut. He had not had a haircut in a long time and they wanted a buzz cut for summer. He cooperated until he didn't and voila a half haircut. It really was cute and it could have been any one of our children. They went back the next weekend and did the rest.

[Anonymous]

Can you give him teh tools/choices and say he can pick but he has to do one? That way he is on more control. Can you try buying flavored chapsticks and see if one of them tastes good.

[Anonymous]

I put Vaseline on my kids' lips when they are asleep every night, just before I go to sleep. Have had to do it every night this winter. Strangely, my orally sensitive kid has no problem with it, but my other kid refuses Vaseline/Chapstick (he's 5).