Although you would never guess it from her happy smile in these pictures, Georgie has been coming down with a cold the last few days. (Note: I put her socks and shoes on her about one minute after the pictures were taken!) As soon as I heard the coughing and stuffy nose coming on, I started doing a few specific things, and the cold seems to be going away. I normally don’t worry too much when she gets a cold (toddlers get so many, she just started school, and I’m not at all germ-obsessed – she used to lick her stroller wheels when we lived in Manhattan, disgusting but true!!) although she does have a tendency to get croup, so I try to nip any sickness in the bud when I can. Here’s what has been working so far:
Breathe Balm // I am a bit of a nut when it comes to the health and beauty products I buy for my family, steering clear of harmful chemicals, and ingredients like sulfates, phthalates and fragrance whenever I can. I love the Honest Breathe Easy Rub because it’s menthol, petrolatum and fragrance-free, smells delicious and soothing and really works. I rub it on Georgie’s chest before naps and nighttime, and on the bottoms of her feet before putting socks on. It’s actually been really cute because she doesn’t normally wear socks to sleep, so she’s been pretty excited about it. ‘These are my socks!!’ she’ll tell me 🙂
Humidifier // An obvious one, but I definitely think it makes sense to keep this running in your little one’s room if they start to show signs of a cold. I don’t honestly know if it does much, but it can’t hurt!
Hydration & Sparkle Pops //These are truly the BEST, although I can’t take credit for them – I read about the genius idea in this blog post, and now always have a batch in the freezer. I fill popsicle molds about 1/3 of the way with sprinkles, then the rest with water. Georgie LOVES them and happily eats them when she’s sick, and even when she’s not as a special after-dinner treat.
Extra Rest // Even when Georgie starts coming down with a cold, she doesn’t slow down. So to ensure she gets a little more rest than usual, I move up nap time and bedtime a tiny bit so we have an extra 15 minutes or so snuggling in bed and reading stories.
Medicine // If Georgie seems uncomfortable or irritable, I’ll give her some Motrin. Luckily she loves the taste so it’s almost like a treat for her 😉 Also, when her nose is really congested, this snotsucker is magical.
Oh, these double chins!!!
