Gearing Up For Cold Season

Cold season is quickly approaching, you can hear the sniffles and coughs already! Kids can have 8-10 colds a year and even more if they are in daycare! So that means your kids will likely catch the bug for a week or so this fall. So be prepared!

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Symptoms: Expect some stuffy or runny noses, a cough, a mild fever, a headache, some aches and pains, and a potential sore throat.

What Do You Do!? 

• Keep them hydrated! You can do this by drinking any sort of fluid, eating frozen popsicles or even eating chicken noodle soup.
• Humidifiers, being in the bathroom with a steaming shower, and vapor or chest rub can clear sinuses.
• To reduce a fever, aches and pains take some ibuprofen.
• Keep them home if they have a temperature!
• Honey can help soothe a sore throat (but only if they're older than one year!)
• Clear noses with a couple saline drops
• To avoid red, sore noses try to use a wet, warm cloth instead of just wiping with a tissue
• Do NOT give any cold or cough medicines if they are less than 4 years old! Then when they're between 4 and 6 years old, only give them medicines if your doctor says it's okay. After 6, make sure you're following dosage instructions.

When should I call the doctor?

• If your baby is less than 3 months, call if he has a fever.
• A high or persistent fever
• Ear pain
• White spots on the tonsils
• Having difficulty breathing
• A severe headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Just not getting any better

How to Prevent a Cold:

• Wash Hands!
• Avoid touching his face
• Coughing appropriately: into their elbow or sleeve
• Always throw away tissues
• No sharing!!!
• Lots of Vitamin C

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Unfortunately colds usually just take time to go away, so be patient! Take care of your little one the best you can and just wait it out. And mom, you might get sick too! So be careful, take care of yourself, and it's okay to ask for help if you think you need it.

Most importantly, give your kids lots of love, like you always do obviously, but maybe just a little extra snuggling and TLC when they're sick.

Here are some great links for home remedies for sick kiddos: 

• Medicines or Home Remedies?
• How Does She: Home Remedies
• Natural Health Remedies

What are some tricks you've learned to make your kids feel a little bit better when they are sick?

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