Two nights ago, my oldest woke me up at 1:30am. He’d had a very vivid and scary nightmare and wanted to be tucked back into bed. He does not have nightmares frequently, but when he does they do a number on him so I was more than happy to offer some comfort as I walked him back to his room. I gave his shoulder a little squeeze and I was met with fire.
He had a fever.
After checking his temperature (101.3 ugh!), I plied him with water, meds and oil (I love using essential oils for stuff like this) and burrito wrapped him up nice and tight.
He spent the rest of the day between bed and the couch, with his temperature fluctuating throughout. Thankfully, today he’s finally starting to feel better.
Seeing as we’re jumping into cold and flu season, I figured it was a good time to share some of my favorite things to have on hand when the bugs hit our house in case it can help you have some good options to reach for.
Better for Them Medicine
I hate running straight to the medicine cabinet at the first sign of a symptom, but I’m a little quicker to do it when it comes to my boys.
As moms, our number one goal is making our kiddos as comfortable as possible, immediately followed by kicking the cold’s ass straight out of the house and hopefully before it can invade anyone else!
I used to rely on Motrin or Tylenol any time the boys got a fever, but after learning a lot about how important ingredients are, I didn’t love what was in them. Dyes and chemical additives are aplenty in these traditional fever reduces and the less I expose my kids to those the better. Most OTC cough medicines have these not so great ingredients too.
Brands like Genexa and Maty’s use clean ingredients and most importantly, they work. Both brands have baby, child and adult options available so they are a good option for the whole family. I haven’t had the opportunity to try these myself (knock on wood I won’t need to after the last couple of days), but I’ve used both Genexa and Maty’s on the boys and they like them!
Essential Oils
Speaking of fevers, the fastest thing I reach for when temperatures rise are my essential oils. I have used essential oils for about 8 years now, and have seen first hand the power these tiny botanical bottles hold.
Our bodies respond beautifully to nature, because they know what to do with herbs, florals, and homeopathic remedies. The more natural options we can support our bodies with, the faster we usually feel better.
This is the essential oil blend I used on my son to help support his body as he was fighting high temps. Peppermint helps to cool the body, On Guard or Stronger (Stronger is pictured here and is the kid’s version of On Guard) are immune-supportive and Frankincense offers cellular support and enhances the effects of the other oils. I rolled these down his spine and the bottoms of his feet every hour until his temperature went down and then applied every few hours after that.
These are my go-to’s anytime a temperature starts creeping up.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry is great for supporting the immune system! It’s a good supplement to add in during the cold and flu months as a preventative, but it’s a must in our house anytime someone gets a case of the ickies. Not only does Patient Zero start getting it, but so does everyone else in the house.
Our favorite elderberry syrup is Elderberry Bliss. This is a local brand to me and full disclosure, it is my oldest, best friend Liz’s, business. She makes this magical blend herself! That being said, my boys have no allegiance to my friend or her feelings (we all know how brutally honest kids can be) and they love this stuff! It’s their favorite elderberry syrup ever and nothing has compared to Elderberry Bliss since they’ve had it.
Another great option we like is Mary Ruth’s Organic Elderberry.
Cough Drops & Lozenges
Cough drops and lozenges are a mainstay in my purse this time of year, and while saying that makes me feel like a grandma, I keep ‘em close because they come in handy when needed. doTERRA’s line of lozenges are the best. I’ve never found a thing that quieted an uncontrollable cough as quickly as Breathe does. Seriously, they are amazing.
The On Guard drops support your immune system, making them good preventatives. I start popping them at the first sign of a scratchy throat.
The Ginger drops are good to have on hand for unsettled tummies.
I cut the drops in half for the boys (who are 7 and 5).
Gluten Free Soups
While nothing beats a hot bowl of homemade chicken soup when under the weather, but sometimes you just don’t feel like cooking from scratch. Especially after taking care of a sick kid all day.
Soups are secret source for gluten, so finding a pre-made, canned gluten free soup can be challenging. Progresso’s Gluten Free line has proven to be one of the better gluten free brands I’ve found, and it’s available at most large chain grocers. The Homestyle Chicken Noodle, Italian-Style Wedding with Meatball and Minestrone all taste great.
Pair them with some Simple Mills crackers and you’ve got yourself a certified delicious, comfort meal.
Take extra good care of yourself and your family this time of year.
The holiday hustle and bustle has officially kicked off, and so have the all the things that wear on our immune systems (hello extra sugar, alcohol, travel, work deadlines, and stress in as many forms as you can think of). Take time to rest and recharge when you need to so you can enjoy each moment of this special time of year.
*I am a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA and may make money if you purchase items through the doTERRA links in this post.
