Back to School=Back to Sick

Seems like as soon as we are back to class, we start with the sniffles.  I hate busting out cold medicine every time one of the kiddos had a drippy nose.  And with a little one in the house, a lot of those medication aren't aged for him anyway.  So here is my go-to plan for colds.  Of course, if you child shows prolonged symptoms or needs medical attention, seek it immediately. 

Homemade cough syrup

One handful fresh thyme (I just grab the prepackaged pack in my produce section)
Water
Sugar or Honey (depends on age of child, read below)

Put the thyme in a saucepan and just barely cover with water. Low boil the thyme for 12-15 minutes. Strain the thyme out and reserve the liquid, which should be brownish/green in color. Bring back to a boil and slowly stir in sugar to make a syrup as it's cooking and let cool. I use enough sugar to begin to notice it getting a little thicker while hot (about 3/4 to 1 cup depending on how much liquid you have). It will thicken more once cool. Keeps in the fridge for several weeks - just dole out a spoonful (for a little one, use a medicine plunger) as needed
For a child over 1 year, start the same, but instead of adding sugar, stir honey into the warm liquid until dissolved and store.

Tea

As a kid, my mom always made us tea for a cold.  Lemon is a natural antiseptic and honey has many benefits.  A nice cup of warm, decaf tea with lemon and honey can be very soothing. 

Chest Balm

Vicks or Vicks Baby are both good options, but I prefer Badger Balm Winter Balm.  It's much more mellow but does just as good a job.  It's all natural and I feel better using on my baby. 

Humidifiers

I've heard so much debate over cool mist and warm mist.  But my kids have the cute Crane animals in their rooms and they make a huge difference.  Vicks humidifiers (with the vapor liquid) for bigger kids can really help through the night too. 

Snot Removal

Kleenex are great and all, but the raw nose seems like a given after a few days.  I admit that I thought they were overkill when I first saw them, but Boogie Wipes are great.  They are gentle and soothing to the nose and have saline to help keep the nose really clean.  And what about a little one who can't blow?  Nose bulbs are gross, no getting around it.  But the Graco automatic aspirator is worth every penny of it's $20 price tag.  It really works, plays music to distract baby and is easy to clean.  The collection area is clear so that you can see what comes out.  Icky?  Yes, but snot color is key when a bub is sick. 

Good luck with your little one and their noses!