When the dog bites, when the bee stings…

These are a few tips that I have picked up over the years.  I hope you find these useful. Please be aware that I am not a doctor nor a nurse nor do I have any healthcare qualifications. These are just tips handed down to me by my mother and grandmother.

1. If your child has been stung by an insect, rubbing half a red onion can help suck the poison out, reduce the pain and swelling and keep your child calmer until you get to a doctor.
2. Rubbing a lemon/lime wedge before easing out a splinter works wonders if your child is not particularly keen on staying still until you prise it out with tweezers.
3. If your child knocks out a tooth, keep it in milk until you can get to a doctor or dentist. It will stop the tooth decaying beyond repair and depending on what has actually happened, your dentist may even be able to re-attach it.
4. Mixing honey and lemon in equal measures and warming it slightly can help ease a sore throat and cough better than any off the counter medication.
5. A warm bath followed by Vicks Vapour Rub on the soles of your child’s feet can relieve congestion especially at night time. Don’t forget to put socks on after rubbing on the Vicks.
6. There are mixed reviews on this one but I found that rubbing a tiny bit of honey on the gums when a baby is teething can relieve their teething pain much better than granules or rings or any other store bought product.
7. If your child has diarrhoea caused by food poisoning put some cumin seeds in a non stick pan and dry roast them for a short while. Mix with warm water, strain and feed your child one teaspoon at a time every half an hour  or so. It relieves the tummy pain as well as helping stem the diarrhoea.
8. Filling a sock with uncooked rice, tie the neck and microwave it for one minute (or until it is warm to touch). Place it on your child’s neck or tummy to relieve pain.
9. If a child over 2 gets motion sickness when travelling, drinking ginger tea with a teaspoon of honey half an hour or so before boarding/getting into a vehicle will alleviate the nausea.
10. To treat a minor burn, you can either keep the affected area in cold water for around 20 minutes or keep soaking and applying a clean napkin to the affected area. Remember this is only for minor burns. Second or third degree burns should not come into contact with any type of cloth or bandage as it can stick to the skin and make it worse. Do not ever put any greasy substance like butter on a burn as it retains the heat and does not dispense it. Cold water is best. You can also use fresh Aloe if you happen to have a plant on your kitchen sill.

If anyone out there knows of other home remedies that they have used and as such have come in useful, please do feel free to post them.  There is nothing better than having an effective home remedy to hand until you get to a doctor.