How The Farming Wife Handles AToddler’s Cold

All ideas of fancy recipes, witty pantry talk, or enlightenment from the farm table, has now been put on hold. The toddler is sick.

It all started yesterday, when I noticed that she was being quieter than usual. When does she ever lay her head on the arm of the chair? By that stage, she is asking to go have a nap. She was droopy and compacent. Both warning signs for sure.

My radar was going off.

This morning? She was fine for the first 1/2 hour. She even ate breakfast. Then suddenly felt sick. Her temp was 100-just like that! I hate to admit to having my Mommy Intuition Card validated, but there it is.

My herbal protocol for a little child is not too much different than for myself or the older children-although the administering is a bit different.

I want to address:

Headache

Fighting Cold

The upcoming congestion that is coming

This is what I do:

For the headache, sleep. It’s my go-to. Made a nest and after giving her some herbals, watched an episode of Max and Ruby on the iPad.

For the cold, remember that little packet of grape koolaid that you have hidden in the cupboard? Grab that out and make it-using 1/2 cup cane sugar.

Herbals

My cold tincture (combined last week and worked to ward off this cold)

*Echinacea/lemon balm combined 50-50 in a tincture bottle

*Elderberry tincture

In a third tincture bottle, combine these two tinctures 50-50. Voila! Cold tincture

She received a full dropper in a teaspoon of elderberry syrup the first time (hated it! Took 10 minutes to swallow and much angst)

Then 1/2 dropperful every 30 min, unless she was sleeping.

Additionally, she has an ongoing cup of grape kool aid with a Tablespoon of Elderberry syrup mixed in. Loves this. She has had 3 cups today.

Feet rubbed with Mentholatum rub and socked.

Keeping the chest and back covered all day. I don’t care about the legs or arms, but her core needs to be comfy.

Of course, she slept on and off all day.

I did not treat the fever. Under 101 is definitely safe in my opinion. Allowing her a fever-especially during the day, helps her immune system fight off the cold and keeps her quiet. Why break that fever and have her run around the house, when she is sick?

She had 1 teacup of chicken broth this afternoon (I am not THAT awesome, it was already on the menu), but other than that, just the three cups of kool aid and of course, plenty of nursing.

This evening, headache gone, fever 99.4 and I can hear the hoarseness setting in. If that happens by tonight or tomorrow, I will treat it. For now, I think she is doing just fine.