When my little one came home from school last week with a cough, I had no idea what
we'd be in for! Maybe you can relate... Parents never know what surprise
sickness will make an unwelcomed visit into your home, especially this time of
year! At my kid's school, I didn't think much of it until the teacher warned
there were more than one students who was out with "Croup!" I can
honestly say, the only thing I knew about Croup was, that scene in "Terms
Of Endearment" where Debra Winger is holding her baby in the steamy
bathroom and they’re both sobbing? Man! That movie gets me even today!

But when your precious little child begins to bark like a freaking SEAL, you know
it's problem! So what do you do? I go right back to my memories of the remedies
my Mom and Grandmother had, which usually featured some nasty tasting elixir
that would make me think I swallowed a small amount of fire and throw up! (Nice
visual, eh?!) Followed by complete isolation in my room, with a humidifier
(warm steam in those days) and all the Vick's Vapor Rub Mom could slap on
before I finally ducked under the covers, in such an awkward position
she could no longer reach me!

   
  
  
  
 Now-a-days we follow up our "Traditional Mom Remedies" with a quick Google Search and a call to the Pediatrician. We Mom's usually get similar enough advice, it basically
serves to confirm that we are doing the right thing, which is kind of like a kind of like getting
the support and encouragement we need, so we can continue being "Wonder
Woman" to our families!

Lately though, there is an even bigger exchange of ideas than ever before, with places like Pintrest and the various "Mom Blogs" (kind of like this one,)  that cover topics from
relationships, to cold remedies, to things like which pair of your husband's
holey undies would make the best cleaning cloth... Moms can get more organic
home remedies and share the ones that seem to work best for them! It's like
seeing inside another Mom's medicine cabinet.. Now if we could just find a way
to see inside "that closet," you know we all have... The one we just
throw all the random stuff in, so our home looks perfect when friends come
over. Don't pretend you don't have a closet like that!

Steam seems to be the top of most mom lists, whether running the shower till the bathroom hs enough steam to be a flashback for Debra Winger! Another way to do this is covering child's head with a towel, over a sink with running hot water (taking all precautions to protect from burns of course); then run a humidifier at bedtime, (experts say use warm steam, till the cough begins to break up, then use cool mist). Now, with these, there are some "home remedies" that can also help *though it is important you check with your child's doctor before
using even homemade treatments!* Here are some passed along by moms who listen to the
Twister!

Top 5 DIY ways moms suggest to knock down a kid's cough 

1.  Cough Drops and Honey in Hot Tea are good, but Home Made Honey Sticks help coat
     and sooth! Kids love them and if you get a great recipe from a place like
     Pintrest, you can actually use this idea for wedding showers, teacher gifts and
     a cute place setting for a garden lunch too! Here's my Pintrest Page on my
   "Mom Idea Share" Board, if you want to check out some of my favs!   

                                  http://pinterest.com/kathiyeager/

 2. Dr. Pepper, warmed and with a few squeezes of lemon. Seems odd, and even a little
     gross to me, but I'm told it really does help!

3. Dark Chocolate. Why it helps, when we're
told stay away from dairy with cough and congestion, I have no clue! Yet some
moms swear it helps calm a cough through the night. I am personally scared to
try it, for fear my kids (candy lovers they are) will cough more often than um,
normal. But if you have a good experience with it, please share!

4. I have always heard using Vick's on the
Humidifier or the neck and chest and even now, you can easily find the plug in
vapor gadgets that are popular. But here's a tip some moms recommend as a sure
fire method to give Croupy kids a great night's rest... Ellen submitted this
tip... She says she puts Vicks on the child's feet and covers them with big,
warm, cotton socks. She has done it for years and says her kiddo sleeps like a
baby through the night! You just have to remember to clean the Vick's off your
child the next day!

5. Here's the one that surprised me the
most I believe... Have you heard of Turmeric? Besides being a great additive to
dishes, turmeric powder is a great natural cough remedy -- particularly for dry coughs. Try mixing a teaspoon of turmeric into a cup of milk and heat over the stove for a minute. It's encouraged that you drink while the milk is still warm. That said, some of my best memories of feeling loved and cared for are those times Mom rubs your back and offers to
make you some warm milk. (Love the smell, hate the taste by the way)... So
though none of us would ever want our child to suffer AT ALL, what an
opportunity to create some "homemade" memories for our family!

Do you have some favorite "Home Remedies?" There is nothing better than exchanging ideas with the smart, beautiful, incredible "Wonder Women" that listen to the Twister!

What idea would you like to share?