6 Quick And Easy Home Cold Remedies for Kids

As you probably know, there’s no cure for the common cold.

And it’s hard to prevent, especially in children who are in school or daycare.

Keeping your home’s germ hotspots clean and boosting your child’s immune system with plenty of sleep helps.

Even so, few moms get through the sneezin’ season without having to deal with at least one bout of sniffles and a sore throat.

So how can you help a sick child feel better?

1. Offer an ice pop

Water, juice, warm broth or lemon water with honey can help loosen congestion and keep your sick one hydrated. (Just don’t give honey to infants.)

If your child’s throat hurts so much you can’t convince him to drink, offer an ice pop instead.

2. Create a steam room

Cold viruses thrive in dry conditions, which is part of the reason why colds are more common in winter.

Mucus membranes will dry in dry air conditions, which can cause a nose to be stuffy and throat to be scratchy.

To help loosen mucus, have your child sit in a steamy bathroom for 10 minutes before bedtime.

A humidifier can also help; just be sure to keep it clean, otherwise it can make mold spores spread, doing more harm than good.

Change the water every day and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions carefully.

3. Get them to gargle

This can be hard to do with a younger child, but if you have a tween or teen, suggest she gargle twice a day with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt mixed into 1 cup warm water).

4. Heed Grandma’s advice

As for her famous chicken soup remedy, good news: It’s a valid meal choice for a child with a cold.

Studies have shown that both the homemade and canned varieties have anti-inflammatory properties, easing swollen nasal membranes.

Plus, it’s another (tasty) way of helping your child get valuable fluids, and it can replace lost sodium if your child is vomiting or has diarrhea.

5. Try saline nasal drops and sprays

Combat stuffiness and congestion with over-the-counter saline nasal sprays and drops.

For a baby, squirt a few drops of saline solution in your baby’s nasal passages, then gently suction with a rubber bulb syringe.

This is important, as babies are “obligate nose breathers,” meaning they have not yet learned to open their mouths to breathe when their nose is stuffed.

6. Watch for signs of strep

If your child’s sore throat is accompanied by a fever, headache or chills, or her discomfort seems extreme, give her pediatrician a call.

It might be strep throat, a bacterial infection that you’ll need antibiotics to treat.