Paging Dr. Mom! 13 Medical Hacks To Get You Through This Winter

By Leah Rocketto

We love our little ones, but we hate when they are sick. After all, no mother likes to see her child in pain and will do just about anything to make it go away. While each mom has her own tried-and-true methods for handling the inevitable bumps, bruises, and illnesses that kids encounter, there are some tricks that work better than others. From easing an ear infection to tending to a scrape, here are some of our favorite medical hacks for moms.

1. Track their doses. Never miss a dose again or find yourself wondering "did I already do this?" Create a chart on the prescription bottle to track when you give your child his medicine.

2. Suck away teething aches. It is an old trick, but it works! Place a spoon in the freezer for a few minutes, then give it to your tot to suck on. The combination of the cold and pressure reduces swelling, giving your child some much-needed pain relief from her growing teeth.

3. Ease an earache. If your kid keeps tugging at his ear, try this trick. Fill a clean sock with rock salt and a couple of drops of an essential oil. Heat the "pack" on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes and place against your child's ear. The minerals plus the heat will lessen the pain.

4. Sweeten a sore throat. Many moms swear by this trick! If your child suffers from a sore throat, have them eat a few marshmallows. We think it has something to do with the gelatin, but whatever it is, the 'mallows soothe the soreness.

5. Milk out a canker sore. Rather than using a sting-inducing ointment, try dabbing some milk on your child's sore. It also doesn't hurt to add a little extra dairy to her diet, as it is known for curing ulcer-like issues.

6. Freeze out teething pain. If your child's mouth hurts, he may not have much of an appetite. Get him to eat and ease the pain with a frozen, nutritious treat. These easy popsicle recipes use baby-friendly foods, so you know your child will love them!

7. Cool down a burn. Next time your tot burns herself, turn to this combination. Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar, and rub the mixture over your child's burns. It eases the pain and prevents potential blistering.

8. Painlessly pull out a splinter. So long, tweezers! To remove splinters, combine baking soda with a touch of water and spread over the wound. Cover it with a bandage and an hour later you'll be able to push the splinter out with ease.

9. Make the cough disappear. A child's cough can keep everyone up at night. So before you tuck her in, lather some Vaporub on her feet and cover them with thick socks. We don't know why this works, but we're glad it does!

10. Wash(cloth) away tooth pains. Giving your baby something to gnaw on will take his mind off his teething pain in his mouth. For added comfort, soak the cloth in chamomile tea, a natural way to calm your tot and lull him to sleep.

11. Rub away a headache. Take a note from Eastern medicine to get rid of your child's headache. Simply massage the spot between her thumb and pointer finger until the pain disappears.

12. Suck down the medicine. There are plenty of ways to get your child to take his medicine, but this is our favorite. Dip a small lollipop in the medicine and let the child lick/suck it each time they dip it. When the medicine's gone, they can finish the lollipop.

13. Soothe their sunburn. For the ultimate Summer treatment, fill an ice tray with aloe. The cold temperature combined with the soothing plant extracts give sunburn the one-two punch.