Ways to battle your toddler’s fever!

The season to be merry and happy is here already and I can bet we all are having fun. The trouble comes in disguised when you have your toddler falling sick in the middle of all the festivities. Caring for a sick person is definitely time consuming and can drain you out completely. The meal time struggles are as good as a being in a Minecraft field and the medicine times can seem like the energy being sucked out of you by vacuum cleaner.

So, when my toddler fell sick thanks to the dynamic weather in Mumbai, I tried the, “less medicine and more healing foods”, approach. Off course, as soon as I felt his body being hotter than Chris Hemsworth, I immediately went to pick the medicine from the shelf and I also gave him his regular dose of crocin. Then after the anxiety of having a sick toddler gradually bid adieu, I decided to alter his meals. Here are the few things I tried that did work however took a little longer than usual.

Lots of sleep – Yes, I ensured that he slept a lot. He is the kind who is always trying to run away from sleep but the onset of fever made him groggy. I dimmed the lights of room and always had the curtains drawn out so he slept for longer hours. This gave mommy some time to complete other chores too.

Bath – Yes, we had one session of a nice warm bath and one session of just sponging. This helped him feel fresh and kept some germs at bay too.

Oatmeal – As a child he would love eating milk-biscuit, a name I gave to plain slow cooked oats with milk. I would just add in a few pieces of crushed Marie biscuits to it. He would relish it and it also kept him full. I tried the same when he was sick and it did help. Oatmeal is bland and easy to eat while providing the calories, vitamins, and minerals you need when sick… Bottom Line: Oatmeal is a good source of nutrients and easy to eat. It can stimulate your immune system, improve blood sugar control and decrease inflammation in the digestive system.

Soup – Baby hates soup. He barely has 2 spoons of soup. This time, I pureed a few boiled vegetables and sauteed it will a little ghee. I added a little fresh cream and some water to it. Garnished it with a few mixed herbs and boy he did have more than 2 spoons. I also added some chicken stock to it. You also can add egg and make it into a egg drop soup.

Khichdi – Yes, the khichdi is always a savior. I often add homemade chicken stock to the khichdi to add flavor. You can add in vegetables or just make it plain with a tempering of whole spices. Just ensure to keep it a little runny as it’s a little easy to digest.

Halwa ( Sweet porridge or pudding) – Yes halwa is a good source of energy when your toddler is sick and it also improves the taste buds. Try making a combination of sooji (semolina) and besan ( chickpea flour) halwa with a good amount of ghee. They have antioxidants in them and also are a good source of vitamins which give you energy.

The Kadha – Yes, the ever famous “nuskhas”. Add in some ginger, tulsi leaves, some black pepper and give it a good boil. You can add in mint leaves too. Add some honey for taste. Try and it give two teaspoons, two to three times a day. It helps relieve the sore throat and also has anti-bacterial properties, that help in healing.You can in throw in some lemon grass and cinnamon and its even magical than before.

You can also give them citrus fruits that have huge amounts of Vitamin C. Bananas are a great source of energy too. Also check what suits your kid and then introduce him/her to it. Healing oneself through foods can be a little time consuming but in the long run, it definitely aids good health.