When your child is feeling under the weather, it can leave you feeling helpless seeing them feel so terrible. Their noses are stuffed up, their throats are sore, and their little eyes may be puffy and red.
While there is no cure for a cold better than time and rest, there are ways to soothe their discomfort and make things easier. When it comes to some of the best ways to ease their illness and make them feel better, here are some of the most effective.
Make Them Cozy
It’s helpful to make them feel cozy and comfortable by giving them a nice place to lay their head and get some rest. Propping up their head by using a pillow which elevates them alleviates the symptoms of the cold and opens up their nasal passages.
When kids are laying flat, they can easily cough and choke if there is a lot of mucus. However, when they feel comfortable with clear passages, they’ll be much more likely to get the rest which they need.
Cut Out Dairy
Even though your little one may have a liking for a warm cup of milk at night or is begging for ice cream to cheer them up, one of the worst things that you can do for a cough is to give them dairy.
Many people believe that milk encourages mucus production, so you’re better off eliminating it altogether until the cold has subsided to be on the safe side. Consider a substitute for the time being.
Warm Baths
Nothing says cozy like a warm bath with bubbles. A warm bath won’t just feel nice and warm them up, but it will also clear out their sinuses and lungs.
Depending on the age of your child you may want to consider adding a few drops of essential oil to the bath water to increase the soothing effects of the warm bath.
Chances are once they get out of the bath that they’ll be ready for a long and much-needed nap.
Humidifier
If your child is particularly congested, you may want to consider getting a mist humidifier for their room. It can help them stay asleep throughout the night rather than have coughing fits which can often be a symptom of a cold in younger children.
Comfort Foods
It may help your child feel better to give them your childhood favorite comfort foods like chicken noodle soup, applesauce, and juice.
Although you shouldn’t necessarily give into anything they want to eat, their appetites may be low, so it may be in your best interest to be more lenient on what you allow them to eat just for the sake of getting them to consume something while they’re ill.
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