So it’s cold and flu season! And I’m sure most of you have toddlers that attend school and bring home unwanted germs. If you have multiple kids, like myself, there always seems to be one child that brings home germs and spread them throughout the house. It’s like a snowball effect! With that being said here are some tips that we use within our household to help combat that. We try our best to treat our kids without using medication:
1. Lysol!!
I might be a little over the top with Lysol. Between the spray and the wipes, I promise I should be endorsed by them! I buy them in bulk from Sam’s as well as the spray. Clorox also has disinfectant wipes with a coconut scent that I love!
2. Eucalyptus/Peppermint oil
We constantly run diffusers in our house. Each room has one! When the kids are sick, there is frequent use of eucalyptus and peppermint oil. If the kids are really congested, I will put a couple drops of oil on their feet and put socks on. This helps alleviate the use of vapor rub. It’s a natural way to help relieve congestion. Our house literally smells like a spa! You can also buy fresh eucalyptus leaves to put throughout your house, but I will warn you the smell is just a strong as the oil.
3. Humidifiers
The use of a humidifier is awesome. It helps moisturize the air within our home. The moisture makes it easier for air to pass through your nose/throat/lung passages. We also have multiple Dyson humidifiers throughout our house.
4. Hydration
Hydration is key! We make sure our kids are hydrated at all times. We basically pump them with water, fresh fruit juice and smoothies! The fact that our kids do not drink dairy milk helps, they drink almond milk. Which helps omit the extra congestion that comes along with dairy. I am the only one in the house that drinks 2% percent dairy milk. One plus to having kids back to back is a constant supply of breastmilk. I give my two older children at least 1-2 cups of breast milk a day when they are under the weather. Breast milk contains antibodies that help fight off viruses and bacteria.
5. Soup
Chicken noodle soup is truly good for the soul! I have an amazing chicken noodle soup recipe that I make from scratch when our entire household is under the weather. I use all fresh & organic ingredients. I will post the recipe under my recipes tab. Even sipping on the soup broth helps!
6. Medication
- This is our ultimate last resort! We will usually use Hyland’s Cough syrup for our kids and flush their nose out with saline spray. We also use a nasal aspirator to remove all of the snot from their nose. If our kids are super congested and/or have a really bad cough that Hyland’s can’t shake we resort to the use of both children’s Benadryl & Delsym (combination given at bedtime). **Please consult with your pediatrician before attempting this method**
Hopefully these tips are as helpful to you as they are in my family. Happy Flu season! Until next time …
