As a parent, one of the most challenging things you’ll face is a household of people who all have a cold. Sniffling infants and congested little ones have even more needs than normal. Not to mention that it’s upsetting to see your children struggling with sleepless nights, runny noses, and coughing fits. Read on to discover six parenting solutions you can use when you’re dealing with the common cold. 

1. Explore Natural Remedies To Relieve Symptoms

Like many parents, you’re probably hesitant to pump your children full of over-the-counter cold medicine day in and day out, which is why it can be helpful to explore natural remedies to relieve the symptoms of the common cold. While it’s crucial to follow your doctor’s advice when it comes to medicines that reduce fevers and relieve congestion, you can also supplement with natural solutions such as essential oils and B vitamins. 

Certain plants have powerful abilities to combat cold symptoms. Top-quality options such as the Young Living Essential Oils lavender and eucalyptus will help your children breathe easier and relax before bedtime. Anything that helps calm and soothe cranky children can be a lifesaver. 

2. Enforce Strict Bedtime and Sleep Schedules

Sleep is perhaps the single most important factor when it comes to recovering from a cold, and you’ll have to get fairly strict to keep your children on a health schedule while they’re ill. During sleep, the body has a chance to heal and reset, and this is especially critical for both children and anyone dealing with a sickness.

If your children stay home from school, make sure to limit activity and enforce a schedule with extra naps and rest. At night, begin your calming nighttime routine earlier than usual. You can even give some extra time in a steamy bath to help clear the sinuses before your kids go to sleep. 

3. Make Freezer Meals for the Whole Week

Dealing with sick toddlers and children can take up a lot of time, and one way to get ahead of things is to prepare a few extra freezer meals when you have down time. You can make freezer meals for both the oven and slow cooker or try a combination of both. When it comes to sick kids, hearty soups and stews are always a safe choice. Some great meal ideas include: 

  • Creamy pumpkin soup
  • Cheese enchiladas 
  • Home-made chicken soup
  • Meatball sandwiches

4. Push Fluids But Remember To Avoid Sugar

To recover as quickly as possible, your kids have to stay hydrated, but you also need to avoid extra sugar in their drinks. Sugar isn’t just bad for their teeth, it can also slow down the recovery process. Stick with milk and water throughout the day as much as possible. 

When you’re really struggling to get your children to drink water, you can whip up a yummy broth and serve it as a snack. Chicken or beef broth with minimal sodium are good alternatives to juices. 

5. Improve Your Children’s Daily Hygiene Habits 

Once you get through the initial wave of illness, you can try to improve your children’s hygiene habits for the future so that you avoid as many instances of the cold as possible. After your kids get over a cold, it’s a great time to have conversations about handwashing and other hygiene habits. Since so many germs spread in places such as daycare and elementary school, you can try to impress upon your children the need for healthy habits by explaining how germs work and how colds spread. 

6. Increase Immunity-Boosting Foods and Supplements 

Your kids are more likely to get sick when the weather is changing or when anyone else at their school or daycare gets sick, which is why it’s important to know which immunity-boosting foods and supplements can provide extra support. Think of the vibrant colors of the rainbow and try to shop for natural and unprocessed foods that come in bold colors. These foods almost always provide an immunity boost when included in your children’s diet regularly. Strawberry, spinach, beets, and pumpkin are usually crowd pleasers. 

Whenever you can, take a moment for yourself when your kids are sick. Even if you usually avoid screen time, it’s okay to put on a movie for your children so that you can squeeze in a minute of peace between nose wipes.