Kids and Colds

Apparently it’s already cold season around here. My husband caught a cold last week and now
both my girls are sick too. My poor oldest daughter burst into tears when she got off the school bus today, telling me she had a cold and didn’t feel well. Meanwhile, I got little more than an hour of straight sleep last night because my youngest kept climbing on me, trying to find some relief, and then she spent most of this morning and afternoon crying pitifully.

What fun!

If you’re already dealing with colds, my sympathies. If you’re not, expect them sooner or later. Here are some tips to surviving.

1. Toddlers can’t take cold medications, so try the rubber bulb syringe to clear that little nose out – if you can. Mine is NOT a fan.
2. Use a humidifier or cool mist vaporizer to add moisture in the air which will help breathing. Bringing them in the bathroom during a hot shower helps too.
3. Use a phone book or similar underneath the mattress of the crib or toddler bed to elevate the head a couple of inches to help alleviate post-nasal drip. DO NOT put a pillow in the bed to prop your toddler up.
4. Tempra, Tylenol, or Motrin can help reduce fevers or aches and pains associated with colds; talk to your pharmacist or doctor for more information. No Aspirin!
5. You can buy baby bath products that use menthol and eucalyptus which turn a bath into a congestion-blaster; I acutally used it a few times when I was pregnant and had a cold, and it worked really well!
6. Of course, lots of liquids and rest are the best treatment.

For older children , there are many over the counter medications that you can purchase to ease different cold symptoms, but it’s best to consult with a doctor or pharmacist.

As for our household, our humidifier was broken so my husband picked up a new one. That will be (hopefully) offering some relief for our toddler tonight, along with regular Infant Tylenol for fever and aches. My older daughter will be getting some decongestant (Tylenol) before bed to help her sleep to get the rest she needs. Luckily she’s still on the progressive entry for Kindergarten (every second day for the first little bit) so she’s off of school tomorrow and can rest tomorrow. Hearing that my child who gave up naps before age two actually fell asleep during Quiet Time at Kindergarten today confirms that she really needs the rest!

And I think I’ll go pop a multi-vitamin and wash my hands, because heaven knows, Moms have no time to get sick!