Snot Suckers and Salt Water

Yesterday we went for a walk with friends who have a 17 month old boy. Marc and Christine both work at IESE and Marc and Jan are 'best friends' and talk and complain and gossip together. Quite nice to see. So as they marched off ahead of us, dutifully pushing the buggies, Christine and I of course talked about 'babies'. Halía has had a bit of a runny nose, pretty much gone now, and to be honest it lasted about 6 hours. However, the sight of snot didn't bother me in the slightest as I was prepared and exited to use a new toy. Grandma had sent us a package of goodies I couldn't find here. One such goody being those turkey basters for kids that suck out their snot. I always thought they were kind of cool. And while they are very small and designed for 0+, lovely Halía is apparently far too delicate and it doesn't yet fit inside her nostril. Oh well, I had fun playing with it trying to get something out... for as long as she let me. (I haven't been allowed back near her nose since. Oops.) So this to me, apart from being a bit annoying in the hands of an over zealous mother scores quite high on the 'humane' scale.

What is the Spanish solution to a stuffed up/runny nose? Squirt a salt water solution up their nose. I kid you not. I wouldn't even to that myself. I can barely gargle salt water when I'm dying from a sore throat. It just brings back horrible memories of stinging eyes and nose and throat from swimming in the sea. Christine says, 'Oh yeah, it is what everyone uses here. If you go to a pharmacia they will automatically give you that. Niclas cries every time, so one time I tried it, and I can see why, the spray is quite strong and it feels like it is reaching up into your brain.' Oh my God! Why would you do that to a little baby! To anyone! Squirt salt water up his nose!! Lucky for Halía her mother will pick and choose the best from three countries, so hopefully she will have a charmed life.