Why, Wet Socks Of Course!

I feel like these past posts, few as they have been, have all started with an apology for not posting very often! Needless to say, with 3 kids, a full-time job and a household to run, it's been slim pickins' around here for moments to quietly sit, reflect and write. I can't even use the restroom in peace, people! Still, here I am today, sitting on my laptop among the chaos that is spring break, (seriously, who decided that kids needed that many holidays from school??) determined to pound out at least a few paragraphs of pearly wisdom. Stay with me!

We've had a bit of a rough winter on the East Coast this year. Lots of snow, chilling temperatures and to rub it all in, it's mid-April and Spring seems to be waving from around the corner and then disappearing into the shadows again. All this makes for a germ fest extravaganza that my 3-child-body just doesn't have the stamina to deal with. Oh yes, the slogan "Winter is Coming" has taken on a whole new meaning in this household which is why my most recent discovery, the Wet Socks Treatment, has me dancing up and down in joy. Yes, you read correctly, wet socks. No, that's not figurative, it's literal. No, the word wet does not have another meaning in this context. Yes, it involves wearing wet socks. Intrigued?! Read on......

Z got her usual bout of chest cold when the chill set in last November; unfortunately we were on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and despite bringing along my handy, dandy 'tools', she was miserable and of course that meant so were we. On a side note, a cruise is the best place to be with a child that is sick because all your entertainment and food are a few (indoor) steps away :-)

Sorry, I digress. Back to the socks. Where was I? Ah yes, I tried all my faithful remedies but they all let me down. Z had high fever and the chills for a couple of days and I was getting desperate. My mind started to work overtime and I remembered reading about a treatment on several holistic blogs. The reason it was so suitable for this situation was the sheer simplicity of it - all I needed was a pair of cotton socks, a pair of woollen socks and water. If you're all out of your favourite natural remedy and you have a sick child who's miserable, this treatment is a GODSEND!

Method:

• Run a pair of thin, cotton socks under very cold water, wring out and keep in the freezer for a few minutes or alternatively you can keep them soaked in ice cold water and wring before putting them on
• Warm your child's feet in hot water or give them a hot bath for at least 10 minutes (this step is essential, don't skip! See below for reasoning)
• Slip on the wet socks immediately followed by the woollen socks
• Send your child straight to bed for the night with both sets of socks on & a thick blanket (and go have that piece of chocolate cake you so need right now, ooh try this great recipe for a mug brownie, courtesy The Pin Junkie)

In case you're wondering why you would be stupid enough to put a pair of cold, wet socks on a sick child, let me be quick to explain. The coldness of the socks activate the body's circulation so that it works hard to warm the feet and in doing so, stimulates the immune system and white blood cell count to fight whatever yucky germ it has been invaded by. Also, IT WORKS!!!! I have tried it numerous times since that awful, November day and have had success with it each time. It is best employed as soon as you see signs of a cold or flu set in and most effective when done for a few nights in a row. My kids actually ask for it now! The warmth of soaking their feet in a bucket of hot water relaxes them (you can add essential oils of lavender or chamomile to help) and they get a complete kick out of wearing the cold socks too! The coldness doesn't last more than a few minutes, that's how quickly the body kicks itself into action and it's not uncomfortable at all (trust me, my kids would be screaming bloody murder if it was).

You can try this for fever, congestion, respiratory issues - for any time your child needs an immunity boost really!

Don't be 'a wet sock',  put one on instead!

~S~

Update 4/27/15: For those of you with children under 2, you can try this method too with a slight modification! My naturopath recently gave me a handout that explained how to do the wet sock treatment with younger children. Instead of soaking your child's feet in a hot bath, you basically put on 'warming' socks first (thin socks in hot water, wrung out) and cover with the woollen socks for 5 minutes and THEN put on the cold socks followed by the woollen socks before putting your child to bed for the night. If however you see that the socks haven't warmed up after an hour or so, take them off and give your child's feet a vigorous massage to warm them up again. I can't wait to try this with K! 

Oh No, Fever!

The very word conjures up an image in most people's minds; an image rather like Voldemort from Harry Potter (I did warn you) i.e. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Fevers are often perceived to be harmful when in fact they are the body's way of dealing with bacteria/viruses and actually do more good than harm. The presence of a fever may indicate a more serious, underlying disease (such as pneumonia) but in of itself, it is really nothing to worry about. R & Z have run temperatures of 103 and have been jumping up and down on the bed - I called my ped. in a frenzy the first time this happened and he laughed it off stating that as long as they were in good spirits, I had nothing to worry about! This does not apply to newborns and infants under 3 months who should be taken to a doctor immediately if they have a fever over 100.4 as this can signal a serious infection.

Why do we get fevers? The answer's quite simple actually. The hypothalamus in the centre of our brain is responsible for regulating our body's temperature and on realizing that it has been invaded by green aliens, it cranks up the heating to make them go back to Planet Virus forever.  Honest!

It is also said that white blood cells (responsible for fighting infection) work better in higher temperatures so by letting the body do its job, you're actually warding off the infection quicker and more efficiently.

So now that we've established that fevers are not the end of the world, let's concentrate on what you can do to make your child comfortable:

~ Lots of liquids: what you want to avoid in a fever is letting a child become dehydrated as fevers tend to increase evaporation of water from the body. Let them sip on watered down juice or water flavoured with a little lemon.

~ Warm water compresses: note that I say warm, not cold. You're just trying to make your child comfortable. Cold compresses can cause a sudden drop in body temperature which is not good for the body and can induce shivering. You can add some lavender oil or Rescue Remedy to the warm water to help relax.

~ Loose, light clothing: try not to overdress your child when they have fever as overheating can lead to an artificially raised temperature.

~ Dose with the appropriate immunity boosters: again, the aim is not to reduce the fever but attack whatever is causing it. Whether the cause is flu or a stomach bug, you'll get good results if you start immediately. 

~Relax! Teach your child that having a fever is nothing to be afraid of and give them extra reassurance while they're sick so they can overcome it easily and quickly. You can help them relax by using Reiki or Essential Oils or even Rescue Remedy. Remember the point about cues!

Don't be concerned if your child sleeps excessively during a fever. It's normal for the body to be tired when it's working overtime to combat an infection and the extra rest will help. A feverish child will also not likely want to eat much and that's fine too. Ever heard the phrase "Feed a cold, starve a fever"?! While you don't need to starve it, you also don't need to force feed it :-) Ensuring adequate liquid is far more important and trust me from experience, any lost weight will come back!! 

As always, use your judgement and assess the situation practically. You know your child best and if something doesn't feel right, please consult a pediatrician. In most average cases however, you'll be surprised to see that the body can actually deal with a lot more than we give it credit for, especially if you equip it with the right ingredients.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away (primarily 'coz it contains Vitamin C!)


~S~