How to help your child when they have a cold

The common cold. How I hate the common cold! Harry always seems to have a cold from the minute it starts to cool down until its so hot he’s running around naked he’s sneezing and coughing all over the place.

Sam and I have tried everything to prevent it, it never works. Every winter guaranteed. So we’ve learnt how to help the poor little mite through it.

Here are our top tips.

1. Calpol Vapour Plug-in and Nightlight – This is a lifesaver! How we ever got by without it I will never know! There are no medicines as such in it, but the aromatic oils of Chamomile and Lavender help your child to sleep, meaning more time for recovery. Each refill lasts 8 hours and we ALWAYS have spares in the house.

We turn ours on just as Harry is getting in the bath, with his bedroom door shut so the oils gently fill his room for when he’s ready to get out of the bath and into bed. Harry always sleeps much better when we use this, and I have to say, I’ve been known to steal it for our room if I’m feeling a bit rough from it all too!

Please be aware this is not suitable for babies under 3 months or pregnant women.

2. Olbas oil for children – Again, this just contains decongestants, but if Harry is feeling a bit bunged up we will put this in an oil burner (usually 1 drop in some water) in whatever room Harry is in. This makes it better for all of us to breath and Harry is usually a lot happier once we have this going! You can also add a few drops to a tissue and hold this close to your child’s nose, but Harry never sits still long enough for that to work!

Again, not suitable for babies under 3 months.

3. Tissues with Balsam – Running noses means millions of tissues. We all know how sore your nose can get with the continuous wiping. Imagine how bad it is for our little ones. Balsam tissues aren’t going to prevent the sore nose completely but they will definitely help more than tissues without.

4. Calpol and Ibruprofen – We all know what these are for! But I live by Calpol for Harry.

5. Fluids – My Nan has always said to me, ‘Feed a cold, starve a fever’. I don’t know how true this is but I do know it is almost impossible to get Harry to eat anything when he’s feeling poorly, so I always try to make sure he drinks plenty. It helps to soothe his poor throat and keeps something in his stomach if we have a day where he will refuse all food. I will try to fill him up with milk and squash as well as water because he is missing out on all the vitamins he would normally take in if he had eaten.

6. Steam – Steam is the best quick relief for a child with a cold. Turn on your shower – quite hot! Close the bathroom window and shut yourself with the child in for 5 minutes at a time. It will open up the sinuses and help to breathe. Try not to stay there, especially with smaller children, for too long as it will dehydrate. Also, make sure to hydrate yourself and your child after to avoid feeling worse!

Let us know if you have any other tips to help out a child with a cold!!