Ideas to Comfort Your Sick Child.... and Yourself

Whenever my girls are sick they like having their temperature taken...

I don' t know about the rest of the mama's out there but I always find that the winter season  arrives with a fresh batch of colds. Like most most moms, I'd rather be sick than watch my children weather a flu. I always wish it could be taken away with a magic mama wand. Since neither of these options are available here are three of my favorite:

•  Cold Air Humidifier - I can't emphasize this one enough, it helps stimulate breathing and it's safe to use as it doesn't heat up.
• An essential oil bath - I like adding 100% pure essential oils and a generous scoop of Epsom salts. Lavender oil, has a calming effect and a Eucalyptus oil  helps clear sinuses. Epsom salts have many benefits including detoxifying the body and increasing the absorption of magnesium. (Here's why magnesium is important)
• Peppermint tea - My girls love tea parties so this one is easy and enjoyable. Peppermint aids in sinus relief and comforts a sore tummy.

I always take time to put fresh sheets on the bed (because who doesn't love that) and have their comfiest pajamas ready to wear. For a runny nose, I find putting a layer of Vaseline between the nose and the upper lip works to prevent redness. We also use old nursing blankets instead of tissues. The blankets are soft, don't seem to cause as much redness and as an environmental benefit are washable. 

Now don't forget to use these remedies on yourself the next time you're not feeling well.

 

Ideally lots of rest is the best remedy for any illness.

Let me know what home remedies you feel work best for you by leaving a comment below.

Why I Wanted to Write This Blog

Agreeing to parent is like agreeing to forgo things you didn’t even know you took advantage of before you had kids. Like sitting down, or sleeping, or going to a restaurant for dinner that doesn’t have plastic cups with cartoon drawings on them. It’s also about being jumped on, peed on, barfed on, pinched, squished, stretched, and mauled. Your patience will be tried, you will learn how to say the same thing many times and be ignored. Some days you will wonder how you got to this point. Other days you will embrace each moment with great appreciation and an unfounded love you didn’t know existed.

Of course it’s also agreeing to be randomly hugged, kissed, told you are loved, and appointed leader of your own tribe.  

This blog is about these things and all the ridiculous, wonderful, tiring, lovely, imaginative things I am blessed to experience on a daily basis. I hope to inspire people to really listen to what the children in their lives have to say. Children are here to teach us as much as we are here to guide them. Listen closely they may also remind you of a feeling, or an idea you had forgotten in your busy adult life.

Abby, 5 years old: “I spun around around and around until I fell down and in my mind it was like I was flying.”

Now go spin around somewhere. I bet you haven’t done that in a while.