5 Ways To Help Your Toddler Conquer Their Spring Allergies
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Spring is right around the corner and as a result, so are those wonderful Spring allergies.
While I personally don’t suffer from any allergy issues, my hubby and my oldest (thankfully my youngest isn’t showing any signs), have a really tough time once the pollen starts flying.
For the past two years, my oldest has suffered from RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), and I noticed that for him, it always happens in the Spring.
So since the pollen seems to be arriving a bit earlier this year, I wanted to share a few things that I’ve been doing to prevent RSV (so far so good) and help my Ju conquer his Spring allergies
So if the Spring is pretty tough on your little one and you want to help them get some relief, keep reading!
1. Avoid ‘Peak Pollen Hours’
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been waiting on it to warm up so that you can grab the kids and enjoy the outdoors.
However, it’s so important that you try and avoid what I like to call ‘Peak Pollen Hours’.
While this may vary depending on where you’re from, for us, ‘Peak Pollen Hours’ are the first few hours of the day and later in the evening around 6pm.
That said, we typically won’t go out to the park until after 10am and/or before 5pm in the Spring.
Your ‘Peak Pollen Hours’ may not look like ours and will vary depending on your location and the weather.
While it’s impossible to avoid pollen completely, avoiding the outdoors when pollen is the most prevalent has made a huge difference for us.
2. Nip Symptoms In The Bud Early
When Ju got sick with RSV the first time, it was because we didn’t aggressively treat his little sniffles and as a result, that further developed into full-blown RSV!
So now, I pull out the Nose Frida at the first sign of a runny nose and I’ve noticed a huge difference in how Ju has been handling his Spring allergies.
It’s important to note that none of the steps that I list here will completely alleviate Spring allergies – I promise I wish that this was a cure-all.
However, I highly recommend treating any and all allergy symptoms as soon as you see them begin to rear their ugly head.
3. Add Honey To Daily Regimen
Disclaimer: Please don’t give honey to your little ones that are under one year of age!
I have to admit, I’ve never been the biggest fan of honey – until now!
Last year when we learned that Ju was suffering from RSV yet again, I searched endlessly for natural remedies that could help him have a speedy recovery.
It wasn’t until one of the moms from my mom group at church suggested that I start giving Ju a tablespoon of raw local honey every day.
I gotta admit, it almost sounded TOO simple.
Too good to be true.
But I was desperate and I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to prevent Ju from having another bout of RSV.
Besides, I knew that honey was full of antioxidants and has antibacterial properties so I figured it couldn’t hurt.
I decided to start giving him a tablespoon of local honey each morning in the middle of February (along with a probiotic and our favorite essential oil allergy blend).
And y’all, so far so good!
Since he was diagnosed with RSV in March both times, I doubled his dose of honey once March arrived.
One tablespoon in the morning and one tablespoon before bed.
Could it just be coincidence? Maybe.
But don’t knock it until you try it!
4. Get Baths After Being Outside
In addition to avoiding ‘Peak Pollen Hours’, I want make sure to track as little pollen as possible inside of the house.
That said, I make my boys get undressed and in the bathtub as soon as we get inside.
This allows me to wash off any extra pollen that may be lingering on their skin or in their hair.
It also helps me to avoid potentially getting pollen in the bed during nap time.
I know that this probably sounds a bit extreme but trust me, the less pollen lingering around in your house, the better!
5. Use Allergy Friendly Air Filters
While we’re on the subject of keeping pollen out of the house, it’s so important that the pollen that will unavoidably get inside, gets filtered out.
While air purifiers are a great option, they can be a bit pricy.
A great, budget-friendly option is to use air filters that are specifically designed to filter out allergens.
At the beginning of the year, we invested in a few of these air filters and it has been a game changer for us.
One thing to note about air filters is that you have to be sure that you change them often. At least every 3 months for the maximum benefit.
6. Boost Their Immune System
Last but certainly not least, boost that immune system!
I wrote an entire post all about how you can boost your toddler’s immune system so I won’t dive into all of those details here.
BUT..
I want to reiterate a two major points:
1. A strong immune system is crucial when it comes how long it takes to fight off sickness of any kind.
So while it’s almost inevitable to avoid all allergy symptoms, a strong immune system will cut the recovery time in half!
2. You don’t get a strong immune system overnight.
It’s so important that you continue to nurture your little one’s immune system year round.
Being consistent and intentional about boosting their immune system will make a huge difference during allergy season.
There you have it!
These are the five things that I’m doing to help my little one conquer his Spring allergies!
I hope these tips are helpful and that your little one gets some relief this Spring.
Do you have any tips that have helped your little one manage their Spring allergies?
If so, leave them in the comments below!
I love to learn more ways to help my little one this Spring!
So we just found out my youngest has some allergies (unknown) I just asked a few friends what helped with allergies (naturally) and they replied with local honey. That was the first time I heard that, I also heard lots of pineapple. Thanks for the tips:)
My sons and I have TERRIBLE allergies. I guess I really do need to try the honey thing. My aunt has been telling me for years to use it but the thought of taking a spoon of honey makes me wanna gag! I also never knew about the whole peak pollen hours. Keeping that in mind for the summer!
Great tips! Honey is truly amazing for these kind of things.
This is a great post! As a mom of a 2 year old who got RSV this winter and landed in the hospital for a few days, I feel your pain. We are currently working on boosting her immune system by giving Vitamin C, using elderberry, and essential oils!
I am not looking forward to sping allergy season. I will be looking back on your tips this year.
These are fabulous tips! My toddler doesn’t have allergies, but my husband does! He may shy away from the Nose Frida, but I’m going to try the other tips! Thank you!