Dr. Mom, Household Cold Fixes!

So you kiddo is all clogged up? For younger kids cold medicine isn’t always okay so here are a few suggestions to try for the common ickies:

Upset stomach/Puking:
Ginger is a natural stomach settler. Ginger ale or 7-up although higher in sugars are caffeine free and could help icky tummies feel better (on top of being a little bit of a perk to cheer them up!). Ginger cookies are also something to try to get substance into a belly. Saltine crackers just like your mom gave you work wonders also! Just take it slow and if your little guy is vomiting take the intake slow! Find fun ways to encourage them to drink (we let my son drink out of CLEAN medicine droppers when he’s sick, he enjoys it and it keeps the fluids in but going slowly).

Clogged up nose:
My favorite trick is baby vicks! LOVE IT! You can also take your little girl into the bathroom with you, close the door and turn the shower up extremely hot and let the bathroom fill with steam. The vapor will help clear out her nose and get her back to breathing in no time! (DO NOT PUT your child in the hot tub, simply hold them in the  bathroom, sitting on the floor, while the room fills with steam). Another great one is a vaporizer. For older kids, let them eat hot soup (not scolding) but often times the steam from the soup will help just  tad

Runny noise:
Often times with runny noises they just need to run their courses. Noses can get sore from constant wiping so try to find a nice fuzzy soft cloth to make the “boogie cloth!”. I promise you that if you can turn anything funny when it comes to sick times, you’ll at least bring a smile to a kids face!

Coughing:
Honey is a great natural cough suppressant. Any way you can get a little one to take some will work. For an older child, a decaf tea with honey is great for a sore throat! Any sort of hard candy can help with coughing; vitamin C drops are wonderful (and taste good too!). Always talk to your doctor before considering a cough syrup.

Fever:
There are not many ways to “cure” a fever  because in fact a fever (at the right degrees and lengths of time) is actually a good thing. A fever is the body’s natural way to fight an infection, so we don’t always want to get rid of the fever and let the infection spread. However, there are some things you can do to help. Warm baths feel good on chilly bodies. LOTS AND LOTS OF FLUIDS are very important when you have a fever, especially if vomiting is occurring during a fever. Kids will dehydrate quicker when there is a fever present. Avoid drinks with caffeine when trying to act against dehydration. Rest is typically the best cure for a fever. Someone once told me to boil raisins and drink the water.. I’ll let you get back to me on the effectiveness of that one! Popcicles are a good way to help get liquids in if your little guy refuses all other methods.

Oh and in case you didn’t know.. Your kids told me that cookies cure everything 🙂

As always please seek medical advice if you are worried about your child symptoms or in the event their symptoms are prolonged. I am by no means a doctor and I am not saying medicine isn’t sometimes necessary for treatment. These above mentioned items are just a few suggestions as to what you can do if you don’t want to give medicine or the symptoms aren’t enough to warrant medication.