I am currently dealing with a sick little one. Fever, runny nose...all the classic symptoms of the common cold. It is so difficult to take care of a sick toddler who doesn't yet have the language skills to tell you exactly what is wrong. I try to deal with it by covering as many bases as possible.
For the fever, I try to hold off on the motrin/tylenol unless the fever really goes over 102 or she is displaying signs of discomfort. A fever, after all, is an important autoimmune response to viral or bacterial threats on the body. So, when she has a fever, I know her immune system is responding appropriately during a cold. I push fluids constantly to keep her hydrated. Aari only drinks milk or water so when she's sick, it can be difficult to get her to drink. For meals, we try and offer soup, mostly, to help with hydration.
In our house, we use a vapor bath by Johnson and Johnson and do 2-3 baths per day to help easy any body aches and I find that it really helps to clear out the congestion. If she wakes up in the middle of the night and is congested and not breathing well through her nose, we will run the shower and get it nice and steamy in the bathroom and one of us will sit in there (not in the shower, just in the bathroom) with her for 10-15 minutes, reading books to her or just snuggling her for comfort. This really helps clear out the congestion. We started this when she was an infant and had her first cold. We would steam her and then suction her.
Other than that, we really just have her rest frequently. Lots of snuggles and movies! :)
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