I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Little Remedies. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
As a nurse, I am no stranger to medications. Whether for myself or my kids, I will turn to medication if necessary. I’ll be honest though. I am not a huge fan of giving medicine to my kids because, also as a nurse, I know there are so many ingredients in them that are unnecessary. There are other things I try before turning to medication for my kids.
Colds and coughs are starting up. My kids have already had a nasty cold since starting school and I expect we’ll be seeing them again soon since the weather is changing. I wanted to give you some ideas on what I do when my kids get a cold and/or a cough and hopefully give you some help in choosing what to do if your child has similar symptoms.
- If your little one has a stuffy nose, the best thing you can do is use saline spray/drops. Little Remedies makes a fantastic saline spray that I like to use on my kids. Place a few drops inside the nose and then suction with a bulb syringe, getting as much of the mucous as possible. If you can, do this until the child can breathe freely. You may need to use saline spray several times a day and that is fine! It is safe to use. Don’t suction the nose without saline spray though or you risk hurting the mucous membranes! If your child is old enough, you can use the Little Remedies saline spray and have them blow their nose. You don’t have to use a bulb syringe if they can expel it on their own.
- Stay home. If your kiddo is already sick, don’t take them out or send them to school or daycare. Not only will they get well faster, but you won’t spread the illness to others. This is especially true if they have a fever over 101 degrees (which should be treated by the way!).
- If your little one has a croupy cough (sounds like they are barking), take them into the bathroom and sit in the room with the shower running on hot. Let the steam open up the airways. You can do this for 15 mins, 4 times a day.
- Offer fluids. Water is perfect. If your kiddo is congested, you may want to avoid thick drinks like milk but any liquid is better than none. Dehydration can happen quickly so keep an eye on diapers/urination to make sure they are doing okay.
- If your kiddo’s nose or area around the nose become irritated, use a petroleum based ointment on it as needed. This will be important to make sure they keep blowing their nose… if it hurts, they may not want to do it!
- Wash hands. I can’t stress to you how important this is. Washing hands is the single-most important way to stop the spread of disease. If you have a hand sanitizer, you can use that too but it shouldn’t replace a good hand washing.
- There is a lot of talk about honey and its effect on coughs. Little Remedies Honey Cough Syrup is a great way to treat coughs in children. Use it as directed!
- A cool mist humidifier is great for kids with cough and congestion. The mist should not point directly at the child and is best used at night. Keep the humidifier clean, doing so every couple days when in use.
- Rest! Let your child rest. The body needs sleep to heal.
- Talk to your child’s doctor. If your little one has had a cough for a week or more, be sure to let their doctor know. Persistent coughs, as well as those that cause other problems (such as difficulty breathing) need a physician’s attention. Finally, a fever that is not responding to your treatment should be reported to the physician. You may be dealing with more than a common virus.
I mentioned Little Remedies a few times above. What I love about this line of products is that they have essential ingredients but nothing that is unnecessary. Little Remedies believes that a treatment should have “everything they need, nothing they don’t” and that is a good thing in my opinion. They do not have artificial ingredients and there is no alcohol. Finally, they are safe for young children. Take a look at many over-the-counter medications and you will see that they aren’t recommended for kids under 6 (or older even). Little Remedies can be given to children from birth to 11 years!
The biggest tip I wanted to offer you is this… trust your gut. If you feel your child is having more problems than just a common cold, then listen to that feeling and call the doctor. This gut feeling is what made me take Jemma to the hospital when she was diagnosed with Croup/RSV and our lives were changed forever. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if I had chose to ignore my “mommy instincts”.
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Do you have any other tips to treat colds and coughs in children? Have you tried Little Remedies products before?
Great tips! I hate when my little ones get sick, I feel terrible they feel that way 🙁
I love the tip to stay hydrated. Even if they don’t want to drink, it’s best to make sure they’re drinking water.
Haven’t tried the Little Remedies bran before! Will have to check them out for when my son gets a cold! My son gets a lot of stuffy nose so would definitely want to try the saline spray.
Now with cold and flu season happening, these tips will come in very handy.
I have a little basket in the bathroom with all of kiddos medicines and treatments. We even have some Little Ones.
Great tips! I just wish I didn’t need them right now, but we are smack dab in the center of winter colds. 🙁
Oh no! I hope you all get better Megan!
Love that Little Remedies Cough Syrup. I’m also a huge fan of using Lansinoh for sore noses and lips.
As a mom and a teacher, I can begin to tell you the importance of keeping your child home if they are sick. I have seen first hand the effects of what that can do to the whole classroom. It is a never ending merry go round.
When my kids were little i would let them rest on the couch all warm and cozy. I gave them lots of fluids and cold meds to help the symptoms.
Thanks for sharing great tips! My daughter has been sick a lot after she started kindergarten this year and saline spray has been our daily companion.
I used to do the hot shower thing to clear up my airways. Not to mention it was relaxing 🙂
I have yet to try Little Remedies. I hear such good things but my son always end up getting some type of antibiotic if his infant medicines doesn’t work. I’ll have to give this a try though.
I just bought Little Remedies for my son’s last lingering cold. It’s a trusted name in our house.
I don’t use too many medicines with my toddler. I like to do it the old fashion way with a rub down and a warm bath.
I had not heard of this product until recently. My kids are grown and that is probably why. I do want to make sure that other family members are aware of Little Remedies so I will be passing this info on.
Those are great tips: I love the one that kids stay home. I often see sick kids coming to school: poor little things. I like that this cough syrup has honey: one of daughter’s favorite flavors
Love this! And do and believe in all of these. I wish more people would stay home when their kiddos are sick, but so many don’t!
It’s always nice to have their products on hand! I love their variety and how they help my son.
I agree – nothing is stronger than the mommy instinct. I don’t think Little Remedies was around when my kids were little but it sounds like a great brand for children.
We always use a humidifier when the kids are sick. It always seems to help. I love using Little Remedies products, too.
Your last statement is so positively true! Always trust those mommy instincts! I really like how natural Little Remedies is, and the honey cough syrup is really good.
Great advice. It’s always so hard when the little ones get sick.
These are great tips! It’s always so sad when the little ones don’t feel good 🙁
It’s definitely that time of year to get ready for colds and coughs. Thanks for sharing how Little Remedies can help.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had little kids in the house but I will definitely remember these when we ours get a little bigger!
We LOVE Little Remedies and use several products in our home. Hand washing is also a big one — I’ve been reminding my kids to constantly wash their hands. My two youngest (4 and 1) had a bought of pharyngitis and I had H1N1 already this season, so we are being very mindful!
I have been using Little Remedies since my boys were babies. They have always worked well for us.
We use that saline spray often, especially during this time of year when the noses get dry and crusty. Little Remedies is a great brand and I rely on it to work.
We love Little Remedies Little Remedies is our tip to treat a cold/ cough or mainly a high fever. It really does help.
These are some great tips. I have never tried Little Remedies before, but I definitely will.
I love Little Remedies products!!! My favorite is the saline, I have used it for all of my kids!!