Help Ease the Cough
Now that cold medicines are no longer recommended for children under 6, I am looking for other alternatives. We are in the middle of cold season, and I was just awakened last night to the sound of my 1 1/2 year old daughter coughing. As I lay there listening to her, I wondered what to do for those pesky colds. There seems to be a lot of advice out there, and I found some suggestions worth trying out.
1. A humidifier. Back when I was broke, I substituted a crock pot full of water turned on “auto” all night long in his room because I could not afford to buy the real thing. [This is your best bet for a coughing infant. -- Ed.]
2. A warm washcloth in a ziploc bag. Safer and less bulky than a hot-water bottle, this helped on nights when his ear ached in conjunction with the cough, and on other nights was simply a warm distraction from the cough.
3. Valerian. We use a kid-friendly dose in a little water with a teaspoon of honey to chase it down with. The valerian calms the nerves and relaxes the throat muscles; the honey soothes a sore throat.
I also totally agree with the people at parent hacks, that when it comes to congestion issues, VICKS VapoRub is a lifesaver. We use it on everyone. I even rub a bit of it on the faucet when I run the bath for the kids. It mixes with the steam and helps a lot.
