Shiver Me Timbers! Taking Out Splinters

« Going to Childbirth Class Part 1 / Pain in the Tooth »

Shiver Me Timbers! Taking Out Splinters

Posted on 04 03, 2006 under The Manual by Noodad | Comments

Today I held my daughter still while she screamed in pain. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. But it needed to be done. See, my daughter got a splinter in her hand this morning on the jungle gym. It was only about a quarter inch long but it took my wife 20 minutes to get it out. Here"s what you need to know should your kid get a splinter:

THE EARLIER THE BETTER
If your kid gets a splinter, try to get to it earlier than later. Sometimes when you get to it early, you can snag the damn thing out with your fingers.

DISINFECT EVERYTHING
If you do need to use a needle or tweezers, make sure you disinfect it with rubbing alcohol. And don"t forget to wipe down the infected area as well. The point is to ward off infection, not create one.

CHECK FOR INFECTION
Typically a submerged splinter will work its way out of the skin after a few days. The warming and cooling of the skin will contract the skin so it pushes it out for you. But if the area becomes red, swells, or fills with puss, you need to remove the splinter immediately.

THE GLUE TRICK
I heard a good trick to remove a splinter easily. This only works when one of the ends is exposed. Here"s what you do: pour Elmer"s white glue on top of the splinter end. Wait for it to dry. Peal it off the skin. The splinter should pop out with the glue. Pretty dope, eh?

TREAT YOUR KID
If you do need to use a needle, your kid will scream bloody murder. Make sure you have some sort of Popsicle or ice cream to settle them down afterwards. Word of advice, you will need one too cuz the sound of your kid"s screaming will traumatize ya.

Good luck Noodads. And avoid those splintered timber jungle gyms!

5 Fall Activities To Keep Your Kids Entertained (Nov 07, 2009)
Cheese Coming Out of Your Kid’s Mouths (Nov 05, 2009)
11 Most Important Things to Know About Your Kid’s Artwork (Nov 03, 2009)
Doll Street and Ball Street – When Your Stock is Down (Oct 31, 2009)
You Can Still Go to Restaurants with Babies and Toddlers (Oct 17, 2009)

Viewing 3 Comments

dramaticmommy 3 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My kids get splinters all the time. Any advice on how to get them to actually tell you they have one before the damn thing is already covered by skin and red? The glue trick... wonder if that would really work or not. :roll Thanks for the visit!

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

harry 3 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I\'ve also heard of using duct tape (one of it\'s thousands of handy uses). Haven\'t used it for splinters yet, but read of many who have had great success with it. We unfortunately couldn\'t find it for our thrilling splinter removal experience.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

wolfbane_691 3 years ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

try tweezers

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

Trackbacks

(Trackback URL)

noodad » What You Need in Your Medicine Cabinet
February 17, 2008 at 9:48 pm

[...] Tweezers These are important for splinters. Read more about splinters and what to do about them here. [...]