Last week, before COVID-19 seriously entered into our lives, I was battling the yearly seasonal sickness that the kids bring home from school. The not-so-fun part was I was parenting SOLO while feeling like my head was going to float away. As a parent to tiny people who are constantly wiping snot from their face, coughing, sneezing, and sometimes eating dried dead bugs from the window sill (yes, it’s true), it’s difficult to remain 100% illness free. When you do come down with feeling ill, here are some natural ways to support yourself while taking care of children.
- Invest in a humidifier. These are especially helpful in these cold months when you have a heater going. Breathing in dry air when you are congested actually makes it worse, as it can lead to more inflammation in your nasal passages. Breathing in moist air helps break up the mucus, while keeping your nasal passages happy.
- Set up a movie day. This is a wonderful way to rest! Set up sleeping bags on the floor or pillows and blankets. Then snuggle into the couch and push play on any long and enthralling movie (we just got Disney Plus and I’m currently loving). Making it more of a production makes it fun for kids. Popcorn anyone?
- Have a tea party. Break out the teapot and teacups! Peppermint is a wonderful tea for a cold as its soothing to the sinuses. Echinacea has also been shown in studies to shorten symptoms of a cold. Adding in a bit of honey is also beneficial as it has loads of antimicrobial compounds. Egyptians even used honey as part of a salve when dressing wounds to protect against bacteria growth as far back as 3000 BC! Remember, no honey for infants under one year of age.
- Drink lots of water. I just bought this new water bottle from Hydroflask, and I swear it has me drinking twice as much water! Staying hydrated will help cleanse the body and support detoxification systems. It will also help loosen up mucus from the sinuses and head.
- Go to bed as soon as you can. The more sleep you get, the faster you will recover. Try and go to bed as soon as you put your children down. It’s temping to take time for yourself by watching TV or scrolling Instagram. But your body will thank you for maximizing your hours of restful sleep.
