Folk Remedies For The Skeptical Mom

I respect the granola moms out there, but I’m not one of them. I’m a firm personal believer in things like running to the pharmacy counter whenever I have a cold and asking why two epidurals wouldn’t be better than one?

However, I admit that I still use some home remedies that either I grew up with or have been so ingrained in me from my own childhood that they’re second nature. Some of these have scientific grounding to explain why they work (others, not so much). Here are the ones that I use on my kids.

Humidifier:

Given that both of my girls were born in the midst of Chicago winters, getting humidifiers for their rooms was pushed by a pediatrician friend. Studies show that they can alleviate dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds, and any other symptoms of running a heater non-stop to make our house livable despite the near arctic conditions outside. Humidifiers are also great for colds and coughs since they make breathing just a bit easier. We went with this Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier because it was cheap, easy to fill, and fairly unobtrusive (also cool mist models don’t have the danger of burning your child).

Swimmer’s Ear Drops:

My husband and I were both competitive swimmers growing up, and we’ve started our girls in swimming lessons from a young age. One of the tricks that my husband swears by (and still uses) is putting in drops to prevent swimmer’s ear (also known as otitis, a bacterial infection of the ear canal causing discomfort and trouble hearing). You can buy drops pre-made at any drug store or make them at home. The recipe I’ve always used is a solution of half vinegar and half rubbing alcohol. Just put a few drops in each ear with an eye dropper or a squirt bottle with a small nozzle after swimming and before showering.

NoseFrida:

I’m embarrassed to write this, but there is something immensely satisfying about sucking snot out of a baby’s nose. Can you think of anything more heartbreaking than an infant with a cold? They can’t breathe, they can’t sleep, and they don’t know why you keep attacking their sensitive noses with your abrasive tissues. While I’ve tried the bulb syringes which are supposed to help remove mucus, I’ve never found one that worked. The NoseFrida, on the other hand, basically lets you provide your own suction by sucking air through it and the filter keeps you from having a mouthful of snot. Note of warning: my kids hated the experience, but they breathed substantially better afterwards. Also, if you use saline drops before the NoseFrida, you’ll get a better result (since the saline breaks up the mucous before you suck it out).

Teething Rings:

Depending on who you ask, teething can be blamed for poor appetite, stuffy/runny noses, difficulty sleeping, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, rashes, fevers and more. As my skeptical pediatrician would tell you, the only thing scientifically proven to result from teething is teeth. That said, my kids loved their reusable frozen teething rings to the point where my three year old still pulls them out of the freezer to play with. I don’t know that they really soothe painful gums (although both girls chewed on them with abandon), but they let infants add temperature to their sensory play which is always fun on a hot day. Amazon has approximately a zillion options, but we liked the Nuby ones.

I think most families have their own home remedies that they will defend no matter what the science may say. My grandmother will swear that putting Vicks VapoRub on the soles of a child’s feet will cure nighttime coughing, despite uniform scientific skepticism. (For those of you giving me the side eye, I swear it’s a thing. Google it). My mother will swear that giving milk to a child with a cold is a mistake since it increases mucus production (to my milk-loving daughter’s eternal gratitude, science has disproven this as well). However, I personally think that anything you find that works for your family is probably worthwhile. After all, the placebo effect IS a scientifically proven phenomenon.

Do you guys have any folk remedies to share? What works for you?



Marylynne is a mom, wife, newly minted entrepreneur, recovering attorney and community enthusiast. She is currently building a website to help Chicago parents find full semesters or single day sessions of classes for their babies, toddlers, and children to attend. On top of all that, she blogs to share her parental musings and insider tips for making the most of (aka surviving) kid-centric things to do in Chicago on ClassCrasher. You can also follow Marylynne on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest