Blocked nose, dry lips, sore throat. Weβve all been there, done that and got the t-shirt but coughs and colds always seem infinitely worseΒ in a poorly child who canβt necessarily tell you whatβs the matter.
We seem to have veered from one bug to another this winter (BB projectile vomiting over the donkey at her school Christmas fayre had to be the low point).
Sadly the days of vaporizers with candles under them β something my mum always put in our bedrooms overnight when we had colds when we were young – are long gone, and although they worked a treatΒ banning nakedΒ flames isΒ probably a good thing.
So what can you do to try and ease their pain β and yours?
BritMums and Vicks have asked me to share my #VicksTricks for getting through the cold and flu season with kids, so hereβs how weβve coped.
7 fun ways to treat kidsβ colds
1. Be (a little bit) irresponsible. We all know the body repairs itself when resting, but of course that’s easier said than done when you’ve got a whirling dervish of a toddler on your hands. Forget your usual rules – if lolling in front of the telly or giving them unlimited access to the apps on your phone means they actually lie still, do it. (Donβt go mad though, you donβt want to overstimulate them).
2. Distract them. This is one of my favourite methods of dealing with most things as a parent! Buying them a new book when theyβre poorly always works a treat in our house, and you can make it fun with things like finger puppets.
3. Help them breathe. Among my bag of tricks is Vicks VapoRub, which isΒ suitable for ages two and up and helps relieve blocked noses, sore throats and coughs. Just rub a bit on their chest and bingo.
4. Give them ice lollies. They might not want to eat anything but it’s really important they stay hydrated and get plenty of fluid, especially if they’ve got a high temperature. Ice lollies are perfect – they’re fun, a treat and will do the job nicely.
5. Use a muslin instead of tissues. Admittedly it turns into a snot rag rather quickly, but using a soft cotton mussy instead of tissues means their skin won’t get irritated by constant wiping with paper.
6. Dose them up. If they’re really under the weather with a sore throat and fever it’s perfectly ok to give them both paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time. Space the doses apart as directed on the bottle – it’s amazing what a transformation this can make.
7. Give them honey at bedtime. This is only for the over ones though (apparently honey isn’t safe for kids under one because of the risk of infant botulism, and you don’t want a whole new problem on your hands). Giving half a teaspoon of honey at bedtime has been proven to suppress coughing – and tastes way better than cough syrup.
What are your tricks for coping with cold and flu in little ones? Iβd love to hear your tips!
This post is an entry for BritMumsβ #VicksTricks campaign.
Linking up with…
We swear by the vix on the feet trick it works wonders! My two have asthma so through the night when they have colds they are constantly coughing, we rub vix into the soles of their feet and cover with socks. I kid you not its a miracle!!
#marvellousmondays
Yes I’ve heard of this one before but I donβt understand the theory behind it! Lots of people say it works though!
Ooh I didn’t know that giving Honey at bedtime helps with coughs. Will have to try that. And the muslin idea is a good one too. Calpol plug in vapour night lights are pretty amazing too.
#marvmondays
My mum used to stand a vaporizer in a bowl of water with a candle underneath it – not sure what was in the vaporizer but it doesn’t sound entirely safe!!
I heard Vicks Vaporub is banned for kids! Just asking
#marvmodays
No it’s fine from ages two and up!
Some good tips, thanks for sharing for #marvmondays x
Hope they come in useful!x
Vick on the feet did seem to help with the coughing recently. The muslin use is a good idea!! xx #marvmondays
Vicks on the feet is popular!
Aargh our kids have constant colds from september to March! Some great tips in here and we have a stash of vicks in every bedroom…#marvmondays
I’ve found this year particularly bad – maybe because I’ve been pregnant & more susceptible to the bugs too…
Great tips. I love using Vicks on myself when I have a cold too
#MarvMondays
It’s a really comforting smell isn’t it!
Oh the muslin/bib is my lifesaver! We’ve saved some sore noses with this rather than tissues! I also love Vicks and I am not afraid of the calpol! Great tips thanks! #MarvMondays
Your muslin trick is actually such a good idea! definately gonna try that!
Ben hasnt been too well (think its teething) so all routine of trying to keep weaning up goes out the window – as long as he eats I dont care what it is – yesterday he had basically had desserts and fruit pots, and the only proper food he had was melon fingers that he sucked the juice from and threw on the floor and then pretty much only milk – but he was hydrated so as long as he drinks im not too fussed unless it goes on for a while.
#PostsFromTheHeart
I agree there’s no point being too precious as long as they eat something…
These are fab. I’ve never heard of the honey one but I’ll be sure to give that one a try. My daughter is ill with chicken pox at the minute so I’ll be using some of your tips.
#marvmondays
I hope they come in handy & your little one gets better soon x
My late mum was a big fan of using honey as well as Vicks too. Commenting for myself and on behalf of BritMums and thanking you for taking part.
Thanks so much for having me!!
Useful tips here. The ice lollies one is a great shout #bestandworst
That one’s always a winner in our house!
Popping back from #Twinklytuesdays to say I have shared this on twitter π
Brill – thanks so much!x
We swear By Vicks on the feet some fab tips there super post #bestandworst
This seems to be a favourite tip!
Great tips. Vicks really is amazing especially for opening up the airways so they can breathe better.
#ablogginggoodtime
It’s so hard when they’re little and canβt blow their own noses too!
Love Vicks!! It really helps with colds and snuffles doesn’t it. Thanks for linking up lovely #bestandworst
Yes it’s great stuff x
Using a muslin is a great idea. Sore noses due to tissues are horrid let alone having a cold. #PostsFromTheHeart
It does create more washing but worth it I think!
I love using Vicks too. A couple of months ago Peachy had her first flu and it was a bad one. She had such a terrible cough and I desperately wanted to put some Vicks on her. That’s when I read the label and learned it’s not for babies under 2. She had just turned one. I wish they would make a baby safe version. #ablogginggoodtime
It’s so frustrating when you really want to help them but there’s only so much you can do…
We have had cold after cold here and because he was so young, we’ve only been able to use snufflebabe on Oscar! Great tips here. Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
I just hope we can put cold & flu season behind us soon!
Such a great post. Colds are the worst, especially for little ones so it’s so important to be armed with tips and tricks to help us through. We too use muslins. In fact how on earth did people survive without them? We literally seem to use them for everything in our house. Such a useful post to link up to #PostsFromTheHeart and one that I am sure will help many.
Like baby wipes we have a muslin in every room of the house – couldnβt live without them!
Well I currently feel like poop so can I come to your house and looked after please?!
Thanks for linking to #ablogginggoodtime
You might not want to with a newborn baby in the house!!