Cut-off sock "leg warmers" keep sleeves snot-free

A hack-within-a-hack, from Lena:

My twin daughters are almost 2 and we've had our share of colds this winter. I can't always get to them to wipe their noses before they wipe it on their sleeves... yuck! In the past, I would just change their shirts but then I had an idea - I put their old leg warmers (these I made when they were younger - I bought girls' knee-high socks and cut the feet off of them) over the sleeves of their arms and viola! Worked like a charm!

If you're looking for a little more style, I see lots of kids wearing "arm warmers" these days. BabyLegs fit the bill perfectly. Tons of patterns, great quality, lovely mom-invented business.

Related: Old tube socks protect exposed wrists from snow

More: Cold and flu hacks

Comments

[Ellen]

BabyLegs are hand wash only. I think a sock you could throw in the washing machine might work better for snot!

[Checks]

I would do this with my old socks that got holes in the toes or heels (I CANNOT wear them with holes). The only problem is make sure to wash them at least once before putting them on your child-depending on the grossness of your feet, and watch their little noses for rawness. Sometimes putting vaseline or chapstick on their nose helps with that.

[k]

That's a great idea! I tend to develop holes in my socks pretty quickly, and this is a great way to extend their life.

But can I nitpick for just a second? Viola is the name of a string instrument, slightly bigger than a violin. Voila is the word that sounds like "vwah-LAH!"

[tank]

i have to wonder if little things like this hinder children in learning basic things. yes, you save yourself some laundry but now your child thinks its okay to wipe snot on his sleeve. maybe it would be more beneficial to teach him not to do it, even if it takes some time, than to cover up the problem with a quick solution. plus, isn't he still wearing something that's covered in snot and needs to be washed?

[Ry4an]

You could go the (almost certainly apocryphal) route that Napoleon did when he saw a soldier wiping his nose on his sleeve -- he ordered that large buttons be sewn on the sleeves.

[CM]

I cut the foot part out of some warm old socks to make "leg warmers" for my baby when he had a terrible diaper rash during winter. I wanted him to be able to run around diaper-free without being cold.