I’m sharing my favorite natural remedies for sick kids as a naturally minded momma of over 16 years.

Product links in this post are affiliate links. It does not cost you anything, and helps maintain the free information on this site, as well as answer the questions of “what brand do you use?” Please know I never personally recommend any product I wouldn’t use on my own family.

{Disclaimer :: I am not a doctor and do not claim to be one. I am sharing some tips and ideas that have been staples in my home for years, that have worked for my kids. For the most part, we are talking about healthy, normal kids without medical complications or special diagnoses. Consult with your doctor if you are having recurrent illnesses, illnesses that are not resolving, or have a medically complicated child.}

The very real overwhelm

It is enough to strike fear into the heart of any living and breathing momma. That first barky seal cough. The first time your kid is flushed and burning up. Or that day that they just can’t keep any food down. There is a very real panic that can come with these moments, and dear momma, I am hear to tell you that our society has missed the boat on something very, very crucial…

Community

I’m not totally sure where we lost it, but moms and grandmas and great-grandmas passing down their wisdom on really anything child-rearing was just not a thing when I was growing up, and when I became a mom. The reason so many of us felt that panic and overwhelm at the first sign of a sick child is because so many of us felt so unprepared, and so…alone. I’m hoping that by sharing some of what has worked for my house will bring a very small sense of that back.

Giving moms their confidence back!

Those feelings of panic and overwhelm? Let’s change that narrative. My hope is that having some tools and encouragement in your back pocket will help you feel more confident the next time your kids wake up not feeling well. Be empowered, young momma! You’ve got this!

What if my kid cannot swallow capsules?

Kids are so much more capable than you think! By the time I was at kid 2 and 3, they were swallowing caps like a champ by age 2 and 3 years old! It is actually WAY easier to teach it when they are younger than older kids. Put the cap on a spoonful of applesauce or yogurt and have them swallow it that way for a while. It really does help! For any capsules in this post, I did also offer liquid or gummies as an option though!

How I support my kids’ immune systems during the school year

Before I get to the specific remedies, I thought it was important to talk about the kids’ foundation. What are we doing during most days to make sure the kids’ bodies have what they need to work properly, so their organs and response systems have a fighting chance. These kids are in contact with bugs daily, and not all of them actually become something!

DAILY

• My 3 “S’s” – Sleep, Sun, Strengthen! :: Honestly, my kids will probably totally roll their eyes at this being the first thing on my list. Most teenagers probably will. BUT, because we made it a habit from the time they were little, they also don’t bat an eye when I ask them if they have had sunshine in their eyeballs today. They also have regular bedtimes without questioning, and know that they don’t get any sort of screen before they have daylight and movement first. Illnesses take root when body rhythm is off balance. And the best way to keep a circadian rhythm and balance for our intricate bodies is through daily morning light, movement, and rest. I truly have found that nothing else falls into place until this part is in line!
• Dialed In Meal Plan :: I have no business telling you about the supplements and natural remedies that we use in our house without addressing the fuel that is going into their bodies. I’m not talking about perfection here. Just think simple, real, whole foods. If it isn’t nourishing their organs and body systems, all the supplements in the world aren’t going to help as efficiently as you’re hoping. Here is a good example of a typical 2 weeks of meals in my house this fall to give you an idea.
• Ferments and/or Probiotics :: Again, I try to stick to real food versions of immune system support. So trying to get a daily ferment in for gut health is always the goal. The girls love sauerkraut and fermented veggies like pickles, kimchi, and carrots. Does it always happen daily? Nope. So when I feel like we need a little boost, I use this probiotic.
• Vitamin C :: I love a good real food vitamin C boost with foods high in C. But in my years of having kids in school, I have just found that straight up giving them a good vitamin C daily is one of the things that has been the difference in them really not catching much of any bug at school. I like this capsule, but this is also a good whole foods based liquid.

WEEKLY

• Multi-Vitamin :: Because my kiddos eat quite well, I don’t feel the need to give them a multi-vitamin everyday. When they were little, I gave them these real food based gummies daily. But they are older now, and I like this brand of multi-vitamin. I give it to them 3-4 times per week.
• Cod Liver Oil :: Nature’s most perfect ratio of vitamin D and vitamin A! Our bodies rely on these 2 vitamins for immune system response, and the best way to get them is through real food. We live in the northern hemisphere, so during the darker months of the year the girls take this daily. During the summer months, I tend to just dose once a week or so. If your kids won’t do CLO, I’d recommend this brand of Vitamin D3/K2 drops and Vitamin A drops, but you could just dose once a week. The amount of testing and research that Dr. Ben Lynch puts into his products is absolutely my favorite.
• Quercetin :: this antioxidant keeps free radicals at bay, and stabilizes mast cells, keeping inflammation calm. I dose this 2-3 times per week. You can also find quercetin in apples, cabbage, onions, berries, and broccoli, which is why I don’t feel the need to give it to them daily. Trying to keep these foods in our weekly menu is the goal! If your child cannot swallow capsules, try this liquid version.
• Zinc Lozenge :: Just twice a week I like to dose these zinc lozenges to cover any missing zinc from our diet. Zinc supports our immune cells like the T-cells and natural killer cells, so we really want this mineral in the body. It is found mainly in seafood like oysters, and we just don’t have access to a lot of good seafood where we live. It is also found in eggs and beef, so I try to be sure there is a good weekly balance of those foods in their diet.

MONTHLY

I do take the kids to the chiropractor once a month, whether they are sick or not. When everything is aligned in the right way, the nervous system is calmer and fluids drain more efficiently. I like to think of it as a tune up, and it just keeps things from getting stagnant and stressed.

What to do when they get sick :: My first “go-to’s” for just about any illness

The last thing I want to happen is for you to feel overwhelmed with a big list of things you might need in your medicine cabinet. Over the years I have found these top 4 supplements and treatments to be my foundational staples that really work for anytime my kids get sick.

#1 Seeking Health Brand Immune Intensive

The way I look at it, is this supplement gives my kids a little jumpstart tool to bolster their immune system. The Seeking Health Immune Intensive has the nutrients needed for the immune system to work efficiently. Ideally, they have these tools in their system with a good diet, multivitamin, and cod liver oil, but, sometimes our bodies just end up needing a good house cleaning. I have found that dosing this Immune Defensive at the first sign of illness has helped us escape an illness becoming something that actually takes them down – it really knocks stuff out! This brand is one of my go-to favorites for just about everything because the functional medicine doctor behind the products backs up his products with research and so much information to learn from.

#2 Astragulus

Astragulus is an herb known in Traditional Chinese Medicine for supporting the immune system and protecting against infections. It is a great “all around” immune system herb to have on hand. I like to use it in tincture form.

#3 Detox Bath if tolerated, and BED

If it close to bedtime, I tend to just put them to bed. The rest is truly the number 1 thing these kids need if ill anyway! Before bed, I’ll roll their feet with the Plant Therapy Germ Fighter (or the Kid Safe version – Germ Defense under the age of 10). If there is some time, and they can tolerate sitting in a bath. Here are my sick kid detox bath favs!

• I like to use a cup of baking soda and 4-5 cups of epsom salt in a big bath. If you have smaller children you can half that in a smaller bath.
• I also like to add 2-3 drops of Plant Therapy Germ Fighter to the bath water too. When they were smaller (say, under the age of 10), I used the Kid Safe Plant Therapy Germ Defense.
• If they are fevering, keep the water tepid, and you can add a tea cup of yarrow tea to the bath water to help manage fevering symptoms.

#4 Chiropractic

I mentioned above that I take the kids to the chiropractor once a month for a “tune up.” If we have just gone to the chiropractor within a week, I don’t typically take them back in unless there is ear pain/fluid, or if they have a super bad cough and need some adjustment at the ribs/mid-back. But, if it has been a couple weeks, or it is close to that one month mark, I’ll take them in within the first 24 hours of illness symptoms if possible. It can really help the nervous system feel less stressed which helps with healing, and helps fluids and lymph move and filter easier.

What to do when they get sick :: Symptom Specific Remedy Favorites

Here are some targeted remedies for specific symptoms that I have found helpful over the years!

Fever

In general, I tend to let my kids fever as much as I can. Dosing OTC fever killers, like Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen, only make the body burn back hotter, so I tend to just let the fever do it’s thing. Belladonna can help with the fever symptoms, so I keep that on hand to use if needed. If they are quite uncomfortable, I’ll try a tepid bath with a cup of yarrow tea in the bath. Or, I like dosing this yarrow tincture. Yarrow is an herb that just makes the fever symptoms more tolerable. It does not kill the fever, though it might come down a half degree.

Coughs/Respiratory

When my kids are coughing, the first thing I’m grabbing for is black seed oil (if your kids can’t swallow the caps, use these gummies) and NAC (if your child cannot swallow NAC capsules, here are some liquid versions). Black seed oil reduces airway inflammation and improves lung function. The NAC breaks down thick mucus in the airway as well. Chestal is my favorite homeopathic cough syrup with a great combination of homeopathic remedies for respiratory system. Raw honey or manuka honey can calm coughs down as well. This is our favorite herbal tea for colds that you can stir some raw honey into!

Sinus Issues (Stuffy or Runny Noses)

Doing XClear nasal sprays helps tremendously! It is a saline spray with grapefruit seed extract and xylitol. The grapefruit seed extract is antibacterial and antifungal so it cleans things out, and the xylitol reduces swelling and inflammation in the tissues. I do like to dose NAC for stuffy noses as well since it is so good at thinning out mucus and clearing up stuffiness. (If your child cannot swallow NAC capsules, here are some liquid versions). Pulsatilla is the homeopathic remedy for nasal congestion, and I have found it to work quite well when it is the right remedy for what the body is doing.

Ear Aches

We have only had a few ear infections in the house, but by far, I have found chiropractic to be the most beneficial! It usually just takes one adjustment at the cervical spine and that stuck fluid drains and loosens so that the ear is clear and not stagnant. If there is a true infection in the ear, we use these garlic & mullein drops in the ear, and rub lavender essential oil around the base of the ear. When pain is unbearable, I dose curcumin for the pain. (If your child cannot swallow caps, here is a liquid version). (As a side note, for my 2 kids that tend to get water in their ears with swimming, we use these super cheap and simple alcohol drops that dry up the water in a matter of seconds! The girls report the water gone so fast, and that can help avoid a swimmer’s ear infection!)

Sore Throat

My number 1 go-to for sore throats is gargling usnea and propolis. Usnea is an herbal compound known for specifically killing streptococcus. I cannot tell you how many times we have gotten email after email of strep cases in the classroom, then get a sore throat in our house that looks like it could be strep, and within 24 hours it is cleared up with usnea gargles. It is one remedy I’m never without. It works so good. Raw honey or manuka honey is great for soothing sore throats as well. I have tried some herbal throat lozenges before, but really haven’t found one that I like more than just giving the girls a small spoon of honey and a cup of tea. Our favorite throat tea is this one.

Nausea/Vomiting

This is just the toughest one, isn’t it?! It is so hard to see them some miserable. I keep nux vomica and the Tummy All Better roller for their belly on hand for nausea. When they are vomiting, I’ll dose Bioplasma cell salts under the tongue to keep their electrolytes balanced, but that is about it. Once they have stopped throwing up for a good number of hours, and can keep a few sips of water down, then we will try sips of this gentle smoothie.

Body Aches and/or Viral Headaches

I am never without Oscillo! If you’ve ever had the body aches associated with influenza, you know how awful and miserable they can be! Within MINUTES, this homeopathic remedy works EVERY time. It really backs off the achy feeling, as well as headaches associated with the virus. A naturopathic friend of mind recommended protease to break down the viral protein causing viral headaches, and I have experienced this work tremendously for certain viruses.

Ok! I would love to hear a few things from you below!

• First, tell me if there are any symptoms or related topics that I didn’t cover! I’ll add if I can!
• Second, we would love to hear if you have success with any of these remedies! Other moms will benefit from the encouragement!
• Third, I’d love to hear any of your favorite natural remedy “go-to’s”! (Please don’t leave affiliate links or contact any readers about MLM businesses, though. Thank you!)