1 Snot Factory

How does someone so small produce so much snot? And why is it running one minute and the next rock hard? And who taught my kid to pick his nose AND EAT IT????

Last weekend was pretty rough in our house. B had a runny nose, sounded like he smokes 50 packs a day and had a fever. I try to not give medicine right away by using some more natural methods. I think it is easier to go the natural way when your kids are young because typically they are not old enough for a lot of the medicine on the market. 

Coughing

For coughing I gave B 2 tablespoons of honey. I didn't have the buckwheat honey that is recommended so instead I just used the organic honey that I had in the pantry. I gave it to him before his nap and before bedtime. Both times his coughing was not as bad and didn't wake him up nearly as much as it  did the night prior where I had not given him any honey.

Cool Baths

I think I confused B when I took him up for a bath mid morning. His fever was sticking around so I thought a cool bath was in order to help to bring the temperature down.  He kept saying 'No No No' when I was running the water but once he got in there he just played with his toys and I made sure to keep pouring some cool water over his body. Now you don't want the water to be too cold because it will be a shock to the system. I just run it a bit cooler than what his normal bath would be. It brought his temperature right down and his spirits were up again (so much so that he just wanted to play baseball).

Dehumidifier
For congestion we use a dehumidifier. I keep it on at night time and it helps to keep his chest and nose a bit clearer. One important thing to remember is to regularly clean your dehumidifier so that it will operate properly and not propel any bacteria or spores into the air.

Comfort Food

I often wonder if what I give B now when he is sick will end up becoming his comfort food later in life. Mine is tomato soup and grilled cheese. Joey's is chicken noodle soup and peanut butter sandwiches (which he dips into his soup). When B is sick I always try to give him some soup but sometimes he isn't in the mood for it. I also continue to nurse him or give him almond milk. Some milk products can increase mucus build up so be careful what you give if you are trying to prevent congestion.

What natural remedy do you use when you or your child is sick?  What is your comfort food?

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