When the Family is Sick
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Our whole family seems to have come down with a cold. It started with the toddler, who ran a fever one afternoon. Then I caught it, and passed it on to my nursing son. My husband didn’t take long to follow, and before we knew it, we were all sick.
Having a sick household is no fun, to say the least. Between all the coughing and sneezing and fevers, we are all miserable. But it gave us a chance to try some natural ways to soothe our colds – without side effects. Here are the ones that worked best for us.
- Steam for congestion. A humidifier in the bedroom can provide some much needed humidity to the dry indoor air – use a cool mist humidifier in kids’ rooms. If you don’t have a humidifier or need quicker relief, a steamy hot shower can work wonders. Adults can take a hot shower, or you can just close the bathroom door and turn on the hot shower, letting the steam collect in the room. Be careful not to let little ones overheat.
- Honey and lemon for sore throats. Combine equal parts lemon juice and honey, then microwave for about 10 seconds on high power. Stir and serve, one teaspoon at a time. The honey helps to soothe and coat the throat, and reduces the urge to cough. The lemon dries up congestion and mitigates some of the scratchy, rough feeling throat. Note: Honey is not safe for babies under 1 year of age.
- Chicken soup. Nothing is more comforting for a cold than a warm bowl of chicken soup. Try chicken or other broths for young children – float goldfish crackers on top to get them interested in eating.
- Rest and TLC. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but rest. When you can, take a nap or just lie down on the couch – cuddle up with the kids to help them to rest as well. Take care of yourself and your kids – give them a little extra love and relax the rules a bit. In our household, we let our daughter watch a little more Sesame Street, usually curled up with one of us on the couch. It helps her to settle down and is nice to have some down time together.
A sick household is never fun, but there are natural ways to help everyone feel better.
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