Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and the natural home remedies in this post are not to be used in place of medical advice.
It may surprise you to learn that just fifty to one hundred years ago in this country, our grandparents and great-grandparents would have been able to name and identify a number of natural home remedies for common ailments. Your great-grandmother may have told you that peppermint was good for an upset stomach or that dandelion tea was good for indigestion.
There was a time when we were so in touch with the natural world around us that folk remedies were not considered “alternative” medicine but were instead were the norm. We have, unfortunately, stepped so far away from that mentality that often mothers who seek natural home remedies for themselves or their children find more naysayers than they do proponents. However, with just a little bit of knowledge, you can step back in time and find some fantastic natural remedies to use for your children.
Salt For A Sore Throat
Gargling with warm salt water not only can ease the sore and raw throat of a sick child, but the salt aids in reducing inflammation as well as mucous reduction. This was a home remedy that my parents always suggested and when I actually tried it, it really helped.
Honey Helps With A Cough
Honey has long been touted as an anti-inflammatory and soothing remedy for coughs. Best of all, it can be used in children over age 1 when most other cough suppressants cannot. Add a little lemon to a teaspoon of the sticky stuff and you have a time-honored remedy from the cupboard. Honey mixed with pineapple is also a great choice for coughs!
Garlic Is A Natural Antibiotic
Garlic has a number of antibacterial and antiviral and antifungal properties leading many to use it as a natural form of antibiotic. A clove can be chopped up and swallowed whole or for children, crushed and mixed with honey. Getting your child to take this remedy daily can knock out many an illness simply because it is a powerful immune booster.
Chamomile And Lavender Can Help With Ear Aches
Lavender, especially in the form of an essential oil, and chamomile can be very effective for ear aches when placed on a warm compress and held outside the ear.
Clove For A Toothache
Cloves or clove essential oil is helpful in numbing and reducing pain for teething children and with older children experiencing toothache.
Plantain (Yard Weed) For Bee Or Insect Stings
You need to learn to identify plantain in your yard for the next time your child is stung by a wasp or bee. When chewed and applied immediately after a sting you will stand amazed at how quickly the pain and redness dissipate.
Fresh Ginger Or Peppermint Tea
When battling a stomach bug or upset tummy, making a peppermint and ginger tea is the way to go. Even sucking on a peppermint or ginger candy can help a child’s tummy.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry is great for cold, flu, and other respiratory issues. You can make your own elderberry syrup or buy some online. It helps build up your immune system before flu season strikes! You can even make delicious elderberry marmalade or other recipes. This elderberry cough drops recipe is a good one, too.
Echinacea drops
Another fantastic immune booster when your child is coming down sick. A few drops of the liquid tincture in a glass of water daily and you will be amazed at the immune boosting properties.
Cayenne
Cayenne pepper can be used to help heartburn, stomach issues, congestion, migraine headaches, and also treat sores and wounds as a topical remedy. Cayenne isn’t always tolerated well by kids, but I like to use it in my Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Spicy Hot Cocoa.
Some of these remedies would have been staples in the medicine cabinet of yesteryear but too many of us have forgotten the natural in favor of a quick trip to the pharmacy. However, being that these natural remedies come with no side effects and less cost they are well worth reviving for the modern crunchy mom and her family.
