As parents you know, there’s nothing worse than seeing your child sick and in pain. Thankfully, kids tend to get the same sicknesses on repeat, which has led us to find some alternatives and home remedies for cold and cough for babies and kids to help fight the germs. While we are not doctors, we have found some tried and true treatments for our kids when it comes to these common childhood illnesses –
Photo by Cori Kleckner
Common Childhood Illnesses
1. Fevers
While fevers are nature’s way of killing the germs that have infected our little ones, as a parent, they can be very scary. No one likes it when a little one has a high temperature. We love this thermometer for night time, so we can check on our little one’s temp without disrupting their precious sleep. You can also program it to alert you if their fever spikes above a certain temperature. We like to roll diluted peppermint oil on the spine of our kids every 30 minutes when they have a fever until they go to sleep and it helps immensely. If you’re looking to remedy common childhood illnesses naturally, these essential oils are great for kids.
2. Ear Aches
If your kids come down with an ear infection, a warm rice pack with Pink Himalayan Salt, and lavender essential oil can help relieve the ache. You can buy pre-made bags on Amazon, or DIY your own with the lavender oil and salt! Love this article that gives more details! Another solution is to dilute Lavender and Melaleuca oils and apply them around the ear (never put oils in the ear) frequently, massaging down towards the lymph nodes to encourage drainage.
3. Upset Stomach
As one of the most common childhood illnesses, kids routinely have stomach aches, which can lead to vomiting and/or diarrhea. The most important task during this time is to keep them hydrated as much as possible, and if your kids are anything like ours, you may have trouble getting them to drink plain water. Pedialyte is often recommended by doctors, but contains a lot of unnecessary ingredients leading us to make a homemade version. Our kids like the sweet taste and the salt helps replenish minerals they’ve lost. Bonus: it’s made with ingredients you likely already have in your fridge.
Photo by J&A Photography
4. Sore Throat
If your child is over 1, honey is about to be your best friend! It’s found to be just as good, if not better, at coating throats. We like to brew a pot of Throat Cozy tea and mix it in with honey and a squeeze of lemon. Soft foods are also crucial during this time – yogurt, mashed potatoes, and applesauce are some of our go to’s. Sore throats can also be caused by congestion; mucus draining down the throat can leave it inflamed and sore. In these situations we immediately reach for the Snotsucker. It is hands down the best way to clear out mucus before aggravating the throat.
5. Croup
Croup is especially common in young kids, and can be a very scary experience for parents as a loud, barking cough and wheezing are the tell tale signs. The most effective combats against croup are cold air and moist air. As soon as we hear the barking we turn on the shower to hot. While steaming up the bathroom, we take our kid outside to breathe in the cold air. After a few minutes, we go straight into the steam. Alternating back and forth typically reduces the severity of the cough. When our little one is ready to go back to bed, we run a cool air humidifier (we have this one) and rub diluted eucalyptus oil on their chest.
Once your kid is on the road to recovery, be sure to check out our tips to keep them healthy!