How to Use My Astoundingly Simple Method to Care for Sick Kids

As we move ourselves out of pandemic isolation and back into all our real-world spaces, the inevitable happened – we have three sick kids! I knew this was going to happen. I fear the little man will be sick for his entire First Grade year. How can he not? He endured virtual preschool and kindergarten. He learned enough, but it did nothing for his immune system against real world viruses. This weekend I dusted off my go-to method for treating the everyday viruses that ail us and will now share it with you. We all need to prepare for our re-entry into the germ filled world.

Elderberry Syrup and Gummies for All

 

Elderberry is my favorite immune boosting food. It helps boost your immune system to keep you from getting sick and in the event you become sick; it helps you kick that virus out of your system 2-3 times faster. For preventative use, a few elderberry gummies or a tablespoon or two of elderberry syrup once a day is perfect. If you are trying to kick a virus to the curb, up that to 2-3 times a day. I swear by this all-natural super food. It does wonders in keeping my family of five healthy and happy.

Save Money – Make Your Own

Now if you are thinking – Have you seen the price tag on that stuff? – I know. I did the math at Costco and one bottle of elderberry gummies was enough for 2 weeks for my family of 5 at somewhere around $25 a bottle. Who has that in the budget? Not I!

So I did what any normal person would do and started researching how to make elderberry syrup and gummies myself. (Maybe not all normal people would do that, but it is what I did.) I’ve been working on my method for about a year, and I now have it ready to share with the masses. You can make your own for a fraction of the cost of buying it in the store or online. It takes around and hour and needs only a few ingredients.

Elderberry Shopping List

Here are the things you need to start on your elderberry journey:

Dried elderberries

Cinnamon Sticks

Honey

Glass Jars.

If you want the ability to turn the elderberry syrup into cute gummy shapes you also need:

Gelatin powder

Silicone molds in your favorite shapes.

Once you have everything you need, skip down to the recipe below. My kids are huge fans of the gummies. I mean who doesn’t want a reason to eat shark gummies every morning? My husband and I usually just down the syrup in a shot glass. However you get the elderberry in your system, it will give you the immune boost you need to get healthy and stay healthy. (Jump to Recipe)

Hydrate on Repeat

Most adults know hydration is the key to staying healthy in general and becomes even more imperative when you are ill. But do your sick kids know this? Depending on the level of icky feelings, they may or may not remember that it is important for them to stay super hydrated. I have one child whose solution to any sick feeling is to stop eating and drinking until she no longer feels sick. Yes, that absolutely makes her stay sick longer. So here are some of the ways I keep the littles hydrated, even when they are feeling sick.

We start with the easy stuff – water, Gatorade, and popsicles. If you have a kid who is not super fond of Gatorade, freeze it in ice cube trays and put it into their water. As the Gatorade cubes melt they get the electrolytes without the overwhelming full on flavor of Gatorade. Crushed ice or crushed frozen Gatorade is also a huge hit. The super cold helps soothe sore throats, you can eat it with a spoon, and it is less boring than a water bottle. We recently got a super fun kitchen gadget to shave our ice for us. Click here to check it out. It is equally fun to use when everyone is healthy – so win, win.

If you have a kiddo that likes hot liquids, I recommend green tea with honey or chicken broth. The chicken broth is super helpful if you have a kiddo who is reluctant to eat because of its nutritional properties. Click here for my super simple method to make chicken bone broth at home. You can keep it in the freezer, making it readily available when germs strike.

Rest My Little Ones

 

Finally, we need to let those little bodies rest so they can recover. For our sick kids, this means we throw screen time rules out the window. We watch movies, play on tablets, and snuggle all the live long day. I have three kiddos and they have three very different personalities. One likes to self-quarantine in her room. For her it’s YouTube and Netflix on the Chromebook in between napping. The other two like to be around people, so they bury themselves in blankets on the couch. I follow their lead. My goal is rest and comfort.

Just That Simple

There you have it, my astoundingly simple method to helping my sick kids kick the annoying viruses that follow us home. These simple things combined with lots of momma cuddles is how we make it through days filled with sore throats and stuffy noses. I hate watching my kids suffer and following these simple steps has cut down our sick days immensely. I hope it can do the same for you and your family. Stay well friends!

 

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