Home Remedies for kids in winter, Top 7 Home Remedies for kids in winter

Home Remedies for kids in winter

My Amish friends are also stocking up on remedies (natural and conventional) in preparation for winter. Travel gets more difficult for them in the snow and ice and they are trying to be prepared ahead of time. In the past, I’ve found that they tend to be right about their predictions most of the time, so I’m working on stocking up too!
In particular, I’m stocking up on my seven favorite natural remedies that I always keep on hand as we approach cold/flu/general illness season. They are:-

1.Elderberry Syrup
 I’ve written before about how much I love Elderberry Syrup for warding off cold and flu (or speeding recovery if we get it). My recipe combines dried elderberries, raw honey and herbs for a potent and effective natural syrup.  It is simple to make and much less expensive than store bought versions with similar ingredients.

Ingredients

⅔ cup black elderberries
3½ cups of water
2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon cloves or clove powder
1 cup raw honey (we get from our farmer's market)
Instructions
Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)
Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey and stir well.
When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a pint sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.
Ta Da! You just made homemade elderberry syrup! Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.
Standard dose is ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids and ½ Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

2.Phlegm
Phlegm tends to travel down our throats and make it hard to breath, prompting bouts of coughing. The solution is a very old, but highly effective one:

Draw a hot bath and add a few drops of sage, thyme, eucalyptus and mint oil
Lay in the bath, making sure your chest is submerged
You may also want to rub your chest with a mixture of warm olive oil, eucalyptus, sage and thyme oils

3.Homemade Cough Syrup
The combination of herbs helps sooth the throat to ease coughing and promote restful sleep. I only use this remedy on children over 1 year of age due to the honey, though you can substitute maple syrup in place of honey.

Ingredients

1 quart of filtered water
1/4 cup Ginger Root (fresh grated or dried)
1/4 cup Chamomile Flowers
1/4 cup Marshmallow Root
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup honey
Instructions

Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the dried herbs.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer until the volume is reduced by about half. (You will need 1 cup of liquid after herbs are strained off)
Pour through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove herbs (compost the herbs!).
While liquid is still warm (not boiling) mix with lemon juice and honey and stir well.
Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Notes
I give 1 teaspoon to children and 1 tablespoon to adults as needed for symptoms.

4.Sore Throat Tea 
 Boil 1 c. water and pour over 1 tbsp. elderberries and 1/2 tbsp. rosehips.  Steep 10 minutes.  Strain.  You can drink it like this (with some raw honey added to taste), or you can mix 1/2 tsp. each slippery elm powder and fenugreek powder with a small amount of cold water, then add this to the tea and heat and stir until thickened.  Add honey and serve.  (I do this if I don’t have any cold syrup around.)

5.Garlic
During winter months, I keep raw garlic on hand to speed recovery from illness (and for us in soups and stir frys). I typically mince one clove or raw garlic and drink with water when I feel an illness coming on.
I repeat this every few hours until the illness is gone

6.Sore throat
A sore throat is a sign that harmful bacteria are starting to colonize it. The remedy for it is as simple as it is effective:
Pour boiling water into a cup and add half a teaspoon of salt – allow to cool
Gargle the salt-water for about 30 seconds to reduce the soreness significantly.

7.Dry cough
A dry cough is one that is not related to phlegm or other obstructing fluids in the respiratory system. This type of cough may indicate other ailments.
Add a teaspoon of honey and a cinnamon stick to a cup of boiling water
Let the water cool down for 5 minutes, allowing the heat to draw out the essence of the cinnamon
Drink the infusion to calm the dry cough