Top 5 Homeopathic / Natural Remedies

A week after both my kids recovered from a nasty viral infection, I thought I would share my top 5 homeopathic or more natural remedies that I have found over the past few years worked great.

#1 - for that cough that keeps everyone up all night, I really like Hyland's Cough Syrup with Honey.  I have been using it since my first child was about 12 months old, as recommended by our pediatrician.  It is safer than traditional cough medicine for young children (and yes, it is OK to give them honey if your ped. approves) and I like the fact that it contains no sugar or alcohol.  My kids like the taste, too!  You can find it at Whole Foods, many chain drugstores, but the best price can be found at Amazon.com - buy it in packages of 3!  It is a good idea to always have this handy!

#2 - for multi-symptom relief (ages 2+), we have been using Hylands Cold N Cough 4 Kids with good success.  It does a great job of relieving the coughing, sneezing, stuffiness even at night.  I like it because it is sugar-free and contains no Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Pseudoephedrine or Dextromethorphan so there are no side effects.  This is another item I try to have stocked up...  With a kid in preschool, it seems the colds come often!

#3 - for teething babies, we would not live without Hyland's Teething Gel!  Teething is no fun for baby (or parents!) but rubbing this gel on the gums really calms baby quickly.  Both my kids loved the flavor so much that they would grab for the tube and want to hold it too!  Since teething takes forever, make sure you have several tubes (one in each diaper bag/purse/stroller...)  I buy these in bulk!  Want to save an extra 15%?  Buy these through Amazon's Subscribe and Save program and have it automatically delivered every 1,2,3, or 6 months!

#4 - for all the bumps, bruises and boo boos, I have come to love Boiron Arnicare Ointment.  It helps to relieve pain as well as stiffness from sore muscles and will help to reduce the color/size of bruises.  I use it for the constant boo-boos that toddlers seem to get and it tends to calm them down a little.  But I often have a stiff neck / shoulders from carrying a backpack, kids and gear and use it myself!  I like the fact that it does not have a heavy menthol smell, in fact, it smells good! Psst...this is also on Amazon's Subscribe and Save program so save another 15% when you buy a 3-pack!

#5 - keep germs at bay...hand sanitizers have gotten a lot more popular lately but I really hate that alcohol smell on my hands and I certainly don't like it on my kids hands (that go right into their mouths!).  I have found a great hand sanitizer that is natural, alcohol-free and comes in a handy little spray bottle!  Cleanwell All-Natural Hand Sanitizer is a great product and smells nice - a little woodsy but not strong at all!  I love the little 1-oz spray bottles and have one in each bag (including my own) and stroller.  These I found at Whole Foods, Rite-aid and Amazon.com.  Again - make sure to always have these at hand, especially on the playground, at the park or when food shopping (they like to touch everything!)

I have many more products I have tried or found online - many can be found in my Amazon Store so check them out!

Be well!