Monday, November 5, 2012

Cold and Cough season.

I don't know about others, but I get a little nervous when the weather gets chilly.
I love the seasons as much as the next person, but when the cold winds start to blow, I know I'd better stock up on emergen-c, tea, tissues, and nasal spray.

This is the case for many people, and especially the little ones.
Kids with colds are usually sad, and so are those of us taking care of them, because there's only so much that you can do for another person who can't breathe out of their nose.

So, when you notice the sniffles and coughs that come with the weather, here's what you can do:
•Make sure that your kids are getting enough vitamin C, it ups their immunity
-If they aren't already taking a multivitamin, start giving them one, and make sure it's one with a substantial amount of their daily vitamin C
•Put a humidifier in their room, and keep it on when they sleep
-This will help keep their lungs and airways clear, so they can sleep better
-It can also prevent them from getting sick
•Stock up on the things mentioned above
-tissues
-nasal spray
-Vicks Vapo-rub
(they also make a baby vapo-rub)
•In case of a bad cough/congestion, here is the secret weapon:
-strip your child down to only their underwear
-put some vapo-rub on their chest
-take them into the bathroom, shut the door, 
turn the shower up as hot as it goes, and let them cough it out
-Just hold them in the steamy room until you feel like they're breathing easier
-make sure to put them in warm clothes afterward
-This seriously works wonders!

The younger your child is, the more careful you need to be.
If you are afraid to put your baby down to bed for fear that they'll stop breathing, take them to urgent care, it's much better than worrying and watching them all night

Another thing that is really important is to keep your sniffly little ones away from other people's kids.
I know that life goes on, and you sometimes have to take them places with you, but it's not good for them or anyone else to have them around others. Keep it to a minimum.
Also, make sure you tell a babysitter or nanny when your child is sick!
Just because a kid is sick doesn't mean your sitter will refuse to watch them, but they will want to take their own precautions. I can't count how many times I've caught a child's sickness, because I didn't know they were sick until I showed up. 
Cold season is tricky, but much easier if you're prepared.

Thanks for reading!
Alex,
The Knowledgeable Nanny

1 comment:

  1. i never used to care about people bringing sick kids around, until now! i've caught 2 colds from kiddos this season... so let us know when they're ill people! al, great advice. as always.

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