Flu Season... What do you do with your littles?

At NMM we all have families and a lot of small kids. Flu season can be a tough time for a lot of mamas out there! Lately we have had several other people ask us this question:

"What do you do with your littles?"

So since flu season is upon us... what should you do? What will kids actually use? What will they actually accept without freaking out, running away, crying and whining?

Here are a few ideas:

1. First ask yourself... What have they been eating? 

We OFTEN talk about "The Bug" going around... looking for something to blame getting sick on. Haven't you ever noticed that "the bug" usually goes around during the time of year that we are eating the worst? Hmmmm... YES the two are related.

Especially when littles are sick, STOP the processed sugar. Please. It is like a feeding ground for all those bugs and germs. Do not give their body MORE ability to get even more sick by putting more of it in their bodies.

Organic honey and agave are very soothing for throat issues - they can be used in moderation when giving natural medicine.

2. Make them a green drink. At our house we call it "The Strong Hulk Shake".... then sneak in those herbs.



This method for getting more herbs works for any child that is eating solids (as long as you have already given them these foods and there are no allergies).

We make this with coconut milk (loaded with calcium), apples (you know all the good stuff there), pineapple (loaded with Vitamin C), small banana (potassium), lime juice and a few drops of orange essential oil... then pack it with spinach and/or kale. Usually add some ice for the chilling factor.

At NMM we try to take advantage of EVERY opportunity to "sneak" in powdered herbs.

For a dry cough and diarrhea problems you can sneak in some Slippery Elm Bark Powder. For anything respiratory you can sneak in Mullein Powder. There are SO MANY other powdered herbs you can sneak in... so if you have a question about it, let us know.

Another easy way to sneak in herbs, for those kids who don't want to take capsules, is to add them to applesauce and yogurt.

3. Massage like crazy.

This is excellent to do with any child that will let you. We use what is known as Thieves Oil (we make our own) but you can buy it through various essential oil companies. At DoTerra it is know as On Guard.

NMM Andrea (Certified Massage Therapist and Bodyworker) regularly does this with her six year old son, four year old daughter and two year old son. This is what she says:

"Using a carrier oil start with your child's legs (I use coconut oil). Cover their leg with the oil with long strokes... it usually feels really good to them, especially if your child is sick. If it is an older child you can do this with their lower leg as well to be more non-invasive. After covering their leg with the carrier oil then drop the essential oil on their leg and massage in. Between 2-4 drops depending on the size of your child for each limb or area.

Then go to the next leg, their arms and their tummy and chest doing the same thing. Have them lay on their tummy and rub their back. This usually takes about 15 minutes, and it is excellent quality time with them as well."

4. Elderberry Syrup

Last, but not least, we highly recommend Elderberry Syrup. We wrote a whole blog post about this syrup, what is in it and how it can help your family. It is IDEAL to give to the littles because it is very easy to make it to taste very good.

NMM Kalea said, "We used the Elderberry Syrup at the beginning of the season last year and it helped us tremendously. I ended up using it as a pancake syrup because I had sweetened it with pure maple syrup! It was so easy to get it in my kids bodies."