Having a sick kid stinks. Having four sick kids, all at the same time, really stinks. I should know!
And why is it that anytime one of my kids get sick, all the others end up sick too?! Itβs not like Iβm not doing my darnedest to keep them healthy and to minimize the spread of germs.
I mean, the elderberry syrup is flowing, the antimicrobial essential oils are diffusing off and on, homemade disinfecting sprays are being spritzed all over, hands are being washed repeatedly⦠all to no avail, it seems.
And, to make matters worse, not only are my kids miserable, but theyβre all miserable in different ways. Kid #1 has a headache while kid #2 has a sore throat. Kid #3 is all congested and stopped up, and kid #4 is just plain whiny! Whatβs a natural mama to do?
After years of using natural remedies when my kids get sick, Iβve not only stocked my natural medicine cabinet with natural aids that help support my kidβs body when heβs sick, but Iβve also learned some little tricks to help my sick kid feel better at the same time. These tricks are not complicated. In fact, itβs quite the opposite, and today, Iβm going to share what Iβve learned so far on this mama-ing journey when it comes to making a sick kid feel better fast!
Using Natural Remedies For Common Ailments
Viral illnesses are one of the most common causes of sicknesses this time of the year. In my home, as soon as my kids start showing classic cold symptoms, I brew up a fresh batch of elderberry syrup for everyone in the house. We also use homemade electrolyte drinks if fevers are present as well as vapor rub for congestion, herbal relaxants and pain relievers for headaches, and honey cough syrups and herbal demulcents for sore throats.
If a stomach bug is the cause of my kidβs sickness, elderberry syrup wonβt be of much help so I pull out some of my other favorite remedies. Things like ginger chews, homemade electrolyte drinks, blackberry root tincture, and bone broth. If they have a sick stomach due to food poisoning of some sort, then activated charcoal is my go-to in this situation.
Now, natural remedies are great to use anytime your kid is sick. Not only do they help support the body in returning to a balanced, healthy state, but they can help the body recover from a sickness more quickly than it would without the remedy. Rest, nourishing foods (if appropriate), and natural remedies are all a part of approaching sickness naturally but donβt forget that healing takes time.
While youβre waiting for the body to heal itself, your child will still experience some of the uncomfortable symptoms of sickness. This is where mama and some soothing come into play.
Below, Iβm going to share 5 simple things you can do to help your sick kid feel better while recovering from any sickness as well as a few more herbal remedies and how we use them.
5 Soothing Ways To Help Your Sick Kid Feel Better
1. Quality Time
One of the best things you can do to help your sick kid feel better is to spend some quality time with them.
When youβre sick, rest is one of the best things you can do for your body, but kids donβt always understand this. When theyβre not sleeping, theyβre bored and want to be entertained. Video games and TV can have their place when it comes to entertaining kids when theyβre sick, but parents can also provide some distraction as well.
Little things like rubbing your kiddos back, reading them a book, playing a card game, or listening to some music with them can go a long way.
2. Special Drinks & Treats
Another way I often help my kids feel better is to give them special drinks and treats when theyβre sick that they donβt get at other times. When weβre sick, we do our best to stay away from cold drinks, sugar (other than honey for mixing with herbs or sweetening tea), and dairy.
Our homemade electrolyte drinks (great for fevers, nausea, or diarrhea) are one of these special drinks, especially the ones made with their favorite herbal teas, but so is lemon ginger tea (great for viruses) and room temperature minty chlorophyll water. They also enjoy getting garlic honey (great for chest congestion or stomach bugs) or warmed cinnamon applesauce with slippery elm powder (great for sore throats or diarrhea) mixed it.
3. Hot & Cold Therapy
When you have a fever, thereβs nothing better than a cool cloth on your forehead. The same can be said for a warm rice pack over your lower abdomen if you have diarrhea and stomach cramping.
Hot and cold therapy can be used in a variety of ways whether itβs a simple bag of ice and a heated rice pack or a fancy freezer pack and a heating pad.
4. Aromatherapy
Essential oils are a big part of our natural medicine cabinet. Not only do their therapeutic properties come in handy when my kids are sick, but so do their aromatic qualities!
One of the most common ways I use essential oils when my kids are sick is in my homemade cleaning products. Not only does this help discourage microbes around our home, but it helps create scent memories at the same time (only if the same scents are used each time). Another way I use essential oils and aromatherapy is by diffusing essential oils off and on. You can diffuse essential oils in a variety of ways, but I like to sprinkle a couple drops of lavender essential oil on a cotton ball and put it by my kidβs bed to help them rest. Lastly, depending on the symptoms my kids have, Iβll often rub vapor rub on their chest, back, or bottoms of their feet to help them breathe better or to help them feel cool when they have a fever.
5. Affirmations
The mind is a powerful thing, and our thoughts affect our health for better or worse. When weβre sick and we feel bad, itβs normal to think negative thoughts, but if we dwell on these types of thoughts, it can hinder healing (Mercola, 2016).
Like I said earlier, itβs human nature to think negative thoughts when you donβt feel good, and this is especially true for kids. Thatβs why, when my kids are sick, I like to encourage them and say positive things around them. Iβll tell them theyβre looking good, that I love them, that Iβm going to take care of them, that their bodies are designed to heal themselves, and that the symptoms theyβre experiencing are actually beneficial. I also try to make sure that the books theyβre reading, the games they play, and music theyβre listening to are on the positive side when theyβre sick.
Seeing how these kinds of thoughts donβt come naturally to them when theyβre not feeling good, it can be comforting to hear someone else say it to them. And, in my experience, it always perks my little sick ones up a bit and makes them feel better.
So there you goβ¦ some natural remedies and some soothing ways to help your sick kid feel betterβ¦ from a mama whoβs been there and done it!
Do you have any special things you do to help your sick kid feel better? Iβd love to hear about it in the comments below!
This post was underwritten by Matyβs Healthy Products. All opinions are mine. Matyβs Healthy Products offers all natural products are made with whole-food ingredients that come from Mother Nature. With no harmful side effects or drug interactions, why use anything else? They offer products for babies, children, and the whole family. Check out Matyβs Healthy Products on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
REFERENCES:
- Mercola, J. (2016, February 4). The Science of Positive Healing Thoughts. Retrieved February 14, 2017, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/02/04/healing-thoughts.aspx
I love your posts… full of so much valuable information. How do you treat ear infections? My family has sworn off pharmaceutical antibiotics. I’m actually the one with the ear infection and am really hurting! Any advice?
I’m so so sorry, Jennifer! Here is a post I wrote a while back on ear infections. We also use the herbal ear oil in my free Herbal Remedy Recipe e-book. My best advice is to be agressive and stay on top of things. Feel better soon!
Loved this post!!! Thank you so much!!
I’m glad you found it helpful, Christy!