I absolutely hate it when my kids are sick, it just upsets me to no end. If I could take their pain and their discomfort away for myself, I would in a heartbeat.
When I had Jasmine 9 years ago I only wish that blogs were around, that YOU all were around for advice and ideas. Nowadays there's so much information out there and there's so many blogging friends always willing to give some advice or that are going through the same thing you are.
So I thought, why not help out all the new moms out there today. I want all of my readers, whether you always comment or are a lurker, to come in and talk about Kids and what works and what doesn't for colds and flu's and stomach bugs and all that non fun, scary stuff for us parents.
Here's some of the things I do when my kids are sick:
1 - One of the things that I do that I learnt from my stepmom, grandmother and greatgrandmother, is for diarrhea. Basically you boil 2 cups water and 1 cup rice. When the rice is cooked drain the water into a cup and let it cool. Add a dash of sugar or natural honey to sweeten it a little, it will help with the diarrhea and settle the tummy.
2 - For colds I try not to give any sort of medicine unless they're running a high fever. I stick to keeping them hydrated, lots of fluids, juice etc. At night time I rub some vicks on their chest and back to help with the congestion and coughing, helps them sleep really well too. For coughs and sore throats, I also give them a teaspoon of honey with a little dash of cinnamon, it really does help.
3 - If it's a stomach virus, then I remove all dairy from their diet for a few days, I give them Ginger Ale and 7 Up, toast and no sauces or heavy meals.
Here's some questions for you guys:
1. When your child has a fever, what medicine do you give them, do you stick to one or do you do the whole Tylenol/Motrin alternating and HOW do you do it?
2. When it comes to stomach bugs, how do you deal with it, what are your true and tried home remedies or over the counter meds that you know for sure will help?
3. What about diarrhea, how do you deal with that?
4. Kids are playing outside and one of them falls...cuts and bruises, how do you deal with those?
5. For burns, what do you use?
Let's talk kids and health, who knows who will stop by and be in need of some advice from other parents.
17 comments:
Burns only ever use cold water. Never put anything on it. For stomach upsets, I still use the old South African remedy of Appletiser and Marie biscuits to nibble on if hungry. The Appletiser is 100% pure, and seems to work where nothign else does. I can get the biscuits and drink here too in the UK. That helps!
Bruises - arnica cream. It is natural and works amazingly. Tissue oil on cuts heals them beautifully. And if blood and gore are around, cold water, dettol cream or savlon and a lint bandage with micropore tape.
That is my basic medical advice!
PS The good news is my kids all survived!
1. When your child has a fever, what medicine do you give them, do you stick to one or do you do the whole Tylenol/Motrin alternating and HOW do you do it? When McKenna had her fever it was Tylenol only.
2. When it comes to stomach bugs, how do you deal with it, what are your true and tried home remedies or over the counter meds that you know for sure will help?lots of fluids and popsicles.although McKenna didn't really want anything.
3. What about diarrhea, how do you deal with that?
the brat diet (bananas ,rice,applesauce,toast.
4. Kids are playing outside and one of them falls...cuts and bruises, how do you deal with those? sterilize it and bandage it up with a dora bandaid.
That's it for me now..
I give my girls what they loving call "belly pills' for any stomach/diarrhea illness. These 'belly pills' are acidophilus. I only use the capsule form as they seem to work quicker. Check this out too...http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsad/a/Acidophilus.htm
Honestly...I dont enter a flu/cold season without it.
Cuts and bruises...as the mother of less then graceful daughters, I have lots of practice in this area, and for us Ice and cold, wet paper towels work! When my youngest gashed the corner of her eye(needing 7! stiches) the cold numbed the pain and reduced swelling and the towel caught the blood.
Burns..Ice and paper towels. Hey some parents use band aids, we use towels!
If all else fails...or is needed I give tylenol. I also have a weird thing that I do(why? I dont know)as soon as someone gets sick I change the sheets and pillow cases on their bed.
Get well
Tanna
http://www.appletiser.net/aw/applications/aw/usa/stockists.html
I googled it, and there is a place where you can get it. Sprouts? I think there is one where you are. Go to the site above! And if it doesn't work, look on Wikipedia, and go to US links. Let me know when you are back from a dash to the shop!
For diarrhea -- BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast)
For stomach bug -- if they can't keep much down, ginger ale with lots of iced, sipped through a straw, and popsicles.
For fever, I've always used Motrin
For cuts & scrapes -- I'm stingy with bandaids, the blood has to be running or it has to be a really bad scrape. Otherwise, "air it out". I know. I'm a mean mom.
1. When your child has a fever, what medicine do you give them, do you stick to one or do you do the whole Tylenol/Motrin alternating and HOW do you do it? Alternate Tylenol and Motrin
2. When it comes to stomach bugs, how do you deal with it, what are your true and tried home remedies or over the counter meds that you know for sure will help?
clear liquids and whatever the kid wants to eat. Honestly my son does not get sick often. He has a killer immune system.
3. What about diarrhea, how do you deal with that?
keep him hydrated with clear liquids, also bananas and toast
4. Kids are playing outside and one of them falls...cuts and bruises, how do you deal with those? wash it with soap and water bandaid if necessary
5. For burns, what do you use? run cold water on the burn and an ice pack on the the burn. Never anything else.
Hi Sandra,
Great blog. Glad I found it. I am a SAHM too, and boy can I relate to your post today. :)
hope all is well with every one there...
hugs,
1. Tylenol, a cool cloth, and/or a cooler bath.
2. Chicken soup, Pedialite, and whatever she'll eat/drink.
3. Pedialite.
4. Wipe it off with either water or a wipe. Neosporin if I remember for cuts. Kisses for bruises. If the bruise is really bad: toothpaste.
5. Nothing. It hasn't happened yet, but I guess I should investigate it now.
*I like your rememdies, Sandra. I'm going to save this page and try them out next time we are under the weather.
I'm a nanny for two year old twins and because there are two children (and likely to both be sick at the same time) it is most important to me to treat the illness immediately and not the symptoms. Giving children "symptom soothers" in my opinion, tricks the children. They suddenly feel better and want to be back up and playing hard when what they really need is rest. So, I don't mind my children "not feeling well" for a day or two- instead of making them think they're better and having the real sickness linger for days.
So, that's my soap box and this is what I do...
Fevers: I don't treat a fever with medicine until it reaches 100 degrees. Until that point, I give out free lavender ice packs (the lavender is calming) and unlimited book reading time. Once it reaches 100 degrees I treat with Tylenol.
Stomach aches: Tried and true: a mug of warm water and teaspoon of baking soda. Baking soda and warm water will either settle your stomach quickly, or make you vomit. Either way- it's over with quickly and I find it very effective with children. Often, with twins, if one child is not feeling well and is getting special attention, the other child suddenly also has a stomach ache. They stuff doesn't taste great- so I know they're serious if they telling me their stomach hurts.LOL
Diarrhea: for young children- diarrhea can get very serious very quickly. Food intake stops immediately and pedialyte begins. Once your child expresses interest in food again, offer lightly salted rice cakes- wait an couple hours and see what happens.
Cuts and Scrapes: should be cleaned. Cuts should be dressed, scrapes should given one coat of an antibacterial (I use bacitracin) and then allowed to air.
Burns should be run under cool water. You can put a little aloe with lidacaine on it. Most importantly though, blisters are natures bandaids- DO NOT POP THEM!
And one little trick along the way- for sore throats, gargle with warm salt water and then paint the back of the throat gently with a q-tip and some iodine.
My girls were home sick with the flu two weekends ago. I kept a garbage can with a garbage sack in it by the bed (C:
I don't give them medicines really either, unless there's a fever or I need them to sleep (C:
My key when they fell and hurt themselves was to not over react. CLean it up, patch it up, pray for them and send them on their way.
Fluids, fluids, fluids when they're sick.
When I was little, I couldn't swallow pills, so my mom would crush them in a spoon with water and a little sugar.
1. For high fevers, I always start out with a couple spoonfuls of applesauce or yogurt to coat the tummy and give Ibuprofen (Motrin). If necessary, I do alternate...Acetamenophen (Tylenol) at 12, Ibuprofen at 2, Tylenol at 4, Ibuprofen at 6 and so on.
2. I deal with stomach bugs by giving small sips of electrolyte solution (such as Pedialite) every few minutes. They also sell Otter-type frozen pops for this purpose. I try not to give too much at any one time or it tends to come back up. After several hours or even a day of this, I do the B.R.A.T. diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). Cola syrup was recommended to me by my son's doctor. I don't know if it truly works, but I find that it soothes my little one's nerves.
3. For diarrhea, I just give electrolyte solution and a bland diet right away.
4. I don't do anything with bruises other than kiss them! But for cuts, I clean it with warm water and apply atibiotic cream with a Bandaid. I used to use hydrogen peroxide to clean cuts, but was told by our dr. that this will delay healing. For cuts on the face, we use Mederma to reduce scars.
5. For burns, I use very cold water. Anything else will stick to the burn.
1. When your child has a fever, what medicine do you give them, do you stick to one or do you do the whole Tylenol/Motrin alternating and HOW do you do it?
I never medicate a fever. A fever means your child is trying off to fight off something. The medicine knocks out the fever giving room for whatever to take over. Obviously if there was a high fever running for days I would take them to the dr. Believe it or not, five kids, many fevers and no meds.
2. When it comes to stomach bugs, how do you deal with it, what are your true and tried home remedies or over the counter meds that you know for sure will help?
Lots of fluids and a throw up bowl.
3. What about diarrhea, how do you deal with that?
Again, your body is trying to evacuate something that is ailing the child. I let it takes it's course. If it's hard for a child to get to a bathroom, I have been known to give a five year old a pull up. Lots of hydration.
4. Kids are playing outside and one of them falls...cuts and bruises, how do you deal with those?
Dab with a wet cloth and a bandaid. Anything serious would seek medical attention.
5. For burns, what do you use?
The rule around here, and fortunately I have not had to do it, but I have always said if you get a burn douse with cold water, frozen food bags, and do it kicking and screaming.
What an awesome blog and topic!
For fever I alternate the Tylenol and Motrin if it is being presistant. If not I normally just use Tylenol.
For Stomach bugs I use lots of juice and sprite. To eat I usually make homemade chicken and noodles with lots of broth.
For diarrhea, I do the Brat's Diet and plenty to drink.
For all the above I'd remove the dairy products.
For scraps and cuts, I would wash them witn soap and water, and put a triple antibiotic ointment on the scrap/ cut. If it is still bleeding I'd put a bandage on it.
Thank you again for this wonderful topic.
Well Sandra, this post made me realize I have NO strategies! I just improv as life hands me stuff to deal with.
So I'm glad you posted this; can't wait to read all your responses.
For fever I start with Tylenol. If the tylenol is not breaking the fever then I alternate the tylenol and motrin. My good friend is a ped nurse and said you alternate each every four hours, even though the motrin says every 6 hours.
For stomach issues I stop the dairy products and give light things. Toast, crackers and clear liquid until she keeps it down for 12 hours with no incident.
As for the other things I have not run into those yet. Megan is only 2, so I am sure I will have to deal with those at some point.
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