#my parent & I have had flu also which I still have a lingering cough/feel tired from

[vimbry]

drains collapsed. under house

#we've had on and off plumbing issues for like 2 months now & this is why. so #no clear reason why probably just. you know age and wear. uk sewer system's old and garbage #my parent & I have had flu also which I still have a lingering cough/feel tired from #anddd we haven't been speaking to my grandparents (who we prev saw like. once a week) for about the same length as the plumbing issue #after they did something pretty selfish and thoughtless and are the type too proud to apologise/want everyone to move on #so now we're at a stalemate bc we're still hurt and it's like. even if we do move past it #I still view them differently now. you know? family disappointing you really leaves you feeling empty #I already went nc with my other parent in 2019 cause they suck and then my dog died in 2020 #just feel like I'm slowly running out of people in my immediate circle esp with pandemic limitations #and this is just like. a whole thing now on top of the existing energy crisis to worry about #also someone stole our recycling bin LMAO like I put it out for collection a few days ago and now it's just gone dk where it is #which is not that big a deal you can just order another for free but it's like. why'd you have to do that man #I want to be grateful for what I've got knowing people are living through warzones and famine rn but like #I'm very weak and things mess me up easily I won't lie #that information only makes things worse. I mean each year everything just gets worse around the world. #it's already blisteringly hot each summer I just don't feel very. hopeful about anything anymore #I've just been really depressed #I guess the good thing is not caring about anything means I don't even particularly care about venting this online lol #it's hard to feel any cringeworthiness or insecurity over anything when you're not feeling anything at all

[mtntopbakery]

HERBAL COLD CARE for KIDS

I’m NOT a doctor! I’m just a crunchy mom but want to share MY HERBAL ARSENAL! Several people have contacted me that my remedies helped them tremendously so I decided it was time to finally lay it all out in a post to share.

Once you have these on hand you can use one dose here or there, optionally when they have huge exposures like birthday parties, swim class, or travel for maintenance but you won’t use the whole bottles at a time! I want to emphasize this because I know most health care plans do not cover herbs/supplements and these high quality super foods are not cheap but I still champion them as the best possible heath care you can provide for your children. This investment will be your herbal first aid kit & they have very very long shelf lives. Follow directions for keeping and storing.

WHY COLDS IN SPRING?!

It’s always cold & flu season when people don’t stay home! I can never get over how many sick people I encounter in the world and have heard my own relatives tell me they are trying to pretend they are not sick when they are 🤣 Guys. Let’s stop this! Self-care isn’t only important for your longevity & mental health, but staying home is an act of love & consideration for your community.

Here are the old-fashioned remedies we use in our house to keep the kiddos healthy! They don’t have as much exposures as kids being sent to school with other sick kids because they are home with me, but they have definitely had long exposures to sick kids at play dates or have started to show symptoms and we have always been able to quickly win the battle with these natural remedies. The kids now only get sick about once a year and only for a few days. We have never used antibiotics or any pharmaceutical products on them.

Sometimes kids don’t realize they are getting sick & we can look for some symptoms as clues that it’s time to start herbs and rest: you discovered someone you were with was sick, crankiness after a busy week, pulling on ears, ANY nasal discharge (do not assume it’s “teething” as I have never even experienced my kids having any runny noses during teething, but I have had moms tell me their kids snot was from teething at play dates only to have my kids come down with a cold shortly after), red eyes, puffy eyes, voice changes (hoarseness), mild fever.

At this point it’s time to keep your child home. Cancel your plans! Ever heard of JOMO? The Joy of Missing Out is the new FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). If you ever needed an excuse for self-care or nurturing your little ones, now is the time. I have really found activating all the parent powers & herbal remedies full force at the onset of symptoms can have your babies feeling better in just a few short days instead of days of fever or weeks of lingering cough. Once you get into that territory you’re heading into emergency antibiotic treatment & steroids which should be avoid at all costs. The idea is to work with the immune system instead of suppressing the symptoms, and facilitate a total cleanse of the body at once to eliminate the bacteria or virus which has made your child ill.

When fevers arise I monitor them closely by taking temperatures every hour (or more) & make adjustments to clothing and room temperature to help make the child more comfortable, but I do not use fever reducers. When the body has completed the elimination of the bacteria or virus, the fever will subside on its own and I have found my children able to do this in about 4-8 hours. Reducing the fever artificially essentially keeps the body temp low aka hospitable for these new and unwanted pathogens consequently prolonging the presence of the pathogen. Therefore, ancient wisdoms agree fevers are constructive when your child is under care and close observation. A full recuperation, even after symptoms subside should generally be a week of rest and relaxation to avoid a secondary infection.

Don’t worry about feeding your child regular meal portions. The body is focusing on healing and will often self-regulate appetite in order to focus energy on healing & detoxing.

When one family member goes down, I start to administer herbs to the whole family as a precaution. Avoid tickling, rowdy play & dairy especially because it creates mucus in the body. Replace calcium sources with vegan options such as nuts, seeds, beans, kale smoothies, tofu and oranges.

We do the following things every two hours/daily for 24-48 hours as needed to clear sickness.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

1. Change bed & bath linens repeatedly

2. Wash hands as much as possible with basic natural soap & warm water (antibiotic soaps can cause thyroid issues please avoid)

3. Give child tissue box to encourage them blowing their noses & offer a small trash bag to contain their used tissues that you can take out a few times a day or use saline spray & Nosa Frida every two hours for baby

4. Herbal hand sanitizer can help with a very tired child who is taking less hand washing trips to the bathroom

5. Essential oil diffuser with oils like lavender, eucalyptus, Tea tree or “thieves oil” cleanse air & help set the scene for relaxation (you can also boil onions to help reduce airborne germs)

6. With a dry cough, especially in winter or high altitudes, a humidifier can help make the cough more productive

EVERY TWO HOURS

1. Elderberry syrup: Mix into small amount of water for your child to drink if it’s too sweet or thick by itself

2. Loquat syrup: Phenomenal blend of ancient Chinese herbs KIDS LOVE IT! So yummy

3. Echinacea Tincture: 1 drop per every 5 lbs body weight or 1 drop per every 2 lbs of body weight for more serious cold mixed with water or use a throat spray

4. Essential oils (tea tree/eucalyptus/oregano/peppermint/lavender): Blend with almond or coconut oil and rub on feet and ribs. An herbal petroleum-free chest salve is also fantastic for this

5. Sweet potato & fruit popsicles (no sugar added/organic): Help keep your unhapppy kid hydrated and acts as a vitamin C / vitamin A supplement

6. Cold care tea: Hot or cold this is delicious. Check the box and get one with yarrow & hyssop. Steep one bag for kids & two bags for adults

7. Vitamin D drops

ONCE A DAY

1. Probiotics: child powder or drops mixed into cold tea, juice or elderberry water

2. Colloidal silver drops: Clear & flavorless yet POWERFUL antibacterial/antimicrobial

3. Garlic-Mullen ear drops: Just one drop in each ear is fine when infection isn’t present. This will introduce garlic, a natural antibiotic, to the ear nose and throat areas immediately staving off nasty complications from ear infections (the ears are more prone then one would think to be the access point for germs, because they lack the normal heathy bacteria you produce in your mouth for example.)

4. Eucalyptus bath: especially with the addition of Epsom salt for the older kids

5. Pillows under mattress under the pillow area will help breathing & create more productive nasal drainage & cough

6. Zinc spray: these often come flavored or with added herbs for immunity and are so easy to administer to kids or to mix into a bottle

7. Multi vitamin: if your kid isn’t taking one daily already, now is a good time to cover any bases for nutritional gaps

For deep seated coughs in children over one, encourage child to eat one finely minced clove of garlic in honey. Follow with orange juice, carrot juice or sugar free organic popsicle. Here is a great video to share with your kids!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDavvGuwoRE

For deep coughs Onion Poultice is HIGHLY EFFECTIVE video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-J4mXTyLqk

If cough is keeping child from sleeping at night try lemon balm tincture in water or tea, a drop of CBD oil between the eyebrows, or mix a drop of CBD oil with massage oil or herbal chest salve and apply to chest and ribs. Alternatively older kids can take 1/4 tsp brandy with lemon and honey can be taken to help relax coughing muscles for sleep.

Consult medical care if fever doesn’t go down, redness in skin occurs, child complains of pain or stiffness. In an emergency, stay with your child. Hospitals may tell you it is their policy to not allow parents, but a policy is not a law. Your presence will bring comfort, safety and continuity in care your child very much needs. You also need to be present to monitor all potential interventions or procedures related to your child’s care.