6 Effective Ways To Immediately Treat And Lower Your Child's Fever

Cold and flu season is back with a vengeance again this year! It seems like everyone is falling victim to those nasty germs that spread so quickly. Being cooped up indoors for long stretches of time due  to the cold blustery winter weather makes the perfect breeding ground for germs to grow and spread.

Trying to reduce my family's risk of exposure to these germs is nearly impossible since everyone we are around is either coughing, sneezing or has a sore throat.

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I remember the first time my oldest got sick and ran a high fever. One night when she was about  three years old she started acting really tired, extra clingy and more whiny than usual. As she crawled up on my lap I could tell that her body felt a little warmer than normal so a quick touch of my wrist to her forehead confirmed that she was running a fever. 

I got out the thermometer to get an accurate reading of her temperature - it was 103 F! . She was definately sick and fighting some sort of bug and I knew that this was a pretty high temp to be running. My husband and I were freaking out! We were scared because we knew 103F was pretty high and this was our first time dealing with a high fever.

After calling her pediatrician, who calmed me down and gave me a plan to follow, I gave her some children's Tylenol, put a cold wet wash cloth on her head, filled her sippy cup with water and sat snuggled up with her on the couch. By the next afternoon and after a good long nap her fever had broken and she was acting normal again.  Whew!!

It seems inevitable that at some point during this cold and flu season one, or all of my kids are likely to get sick, and with this type of sickness a fever is sure to be present. Fevers can be scary especially if you are a first time parent.

If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more then they have a fever. 

Every child is affected differently by fevers and some run higher temps than others when they are fighting a germ. Make sure to have a good quality thermometer on hand so you can get the most accurate temperature reading. Your child's pediatrician will want to know your child's current temperature if you call in to ask any questions. This is the thermometer I use for all of my kids and the one I recommend.

Please be aware that a high fever in a young children may cause a febrile seizure. I highly recommend discussing what to do if this happens with your pediatrician at your child's next well child visit. 

What are some common symptoms of a fever?

• noticable change in your child's behavior - less talkative, more whiny than normal
• complains of a headache
• child's body and forehead feels hot to the touch
• wants to lay down or sleep 
• feels weak or tired

6 Effective Ways to Treat and Lower Your Child's Fever? 

Here are some easy, tried and true ways that I have used with all 4 of my kids to lower a fever quickly so your child feels better fast. .

(Please note that I am just a mom of 4 kids and in no way am I an expert or medical professional. Make sure to always check with your doctor and read medicine labels before giving medicine to your child. If your child is having difficulty breathing, unresponsive, lethargic or you are worried something serious is wrong call 911 immediately)

Cold Wet Wash Cloth / Frozen Bag of Veggies

If you are hesitant to give your child medication try a cold wet wash cloth spread over their forehead. Sometimes I even wrap up a frozen bag of corn in a towel and put that on their forehead instead of a wet wash cloth. The coolness of the wash cloth (or frozen corn) will give your child some relief from the discomfort of a fever.

Popsicles & Ice Cubes

Depending on your child's age (this is not something for children under age 3) giving them a cup of ice cubes to suck on or a popsicle can be an effective way to help lower and treat a fever. Make sure you sit with them if you give them ice cubes to make sure they don't accidentally choke on one.

Children's Tylenol

Anti-fever medication that contains acetaminophen or ibuprophen work fast at reducing your child's fever. Before giving your child any medications check with your doctor to make sure you are giving the right dosage. Many times when a child has a fever they will also feel achy. Children's Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Children's Motrin (ibuprofen) can help relieve them of the achyness as well as reduce their fever. Remember children under 2 should not be given over the counter medicine unless directed by a doctor.

Remove Extra Layers Of Clothing

If your child is running a fever chances are they will feel cold and hot intermittengly. Removing extra layers of clothing including socks can help them cool their body down when they are feeling too hot. Instead of laying on more clothes have a blanket nearby that they can cover up with when they get chills.

Cool Bath

Fill the bath tub with luke warm water let them soak for a bit so that their body temperature can come down more quickly. This with the aide of Tylenol is effective for reducing a fever quickly.

Stay Hydrated

Fill up their favorite sippy cup or water bottle with ice water. If your child is refusing water try something flavored like Gatorade, Kool Aid or flavored water. I know my kids are more likely to drink these flavored drinks because they rarely get them. I am not above bribery when it comes to getting them to stay hydrated when they are sick. A mom's got to do what a mom's got to do!

Tips To Stop The Spread Of Germs

Remember your child is considered contagious until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the help of a fever reducer. Because of this it is very important to take extra care not to spread these germs to others! Regular handwashing, using hand sanitizer and covering coughs and sneezes is one way the spread of germs can be reduced. 

Since we have a large family and it can be hard to keep everyone healthy when someone else is sick therefore I try to be proactive in killing germs. I keep several containers of Clorox disinfecting wipes handy so I can quickly wipe down railings, bathroom countertops, light switches, door knobs, keyboards and screens and whatever else I think might be harboring bad germs. 

It is also a good idea to toss out any toothbrushes that might have been used while you or your child was sick. I like to stock up on extra toothbrushes during cold and flu season just for this reason. 

Kids (and adults) don't always remember to cover their mouths when they are coughing or sneezing. My kids are included in this! 

Because of this and my desperate attempt to stop the spread of germs I started giving everyone who was coughing a "coughing cloth". 

All a coughing cloth is is a wash cloth or small hand towel that they use to cough into when they are coughing. It is a visual reminder to cover their mouths when coughing. 

Every night I toss the germy used coughing cloth into the washing machine and set a clean coughing cloth out for the next day. So far this has been a very effective reminder for everyone in our house to cover their cough when they are sick. 

How To Make Valentine's Day Watercolor Cards

Cutting down on sugar and treats is hard especially around Valentine's Day. If you are looking for a candy free alternative for your kids to give as Valentine's these super easy watercolor heart postcards won't disappoint. 

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We made our watercolor paintings using a process art technique you can find and follow HERE.

click to read more

Once your paintings are dry all you need to do is fold them in half and cut out a heart shape. We used postcard size cardstock paper and glued the hearts to the center. On the back of the postcards we wrote our current Bible memory verse, Isaiah 43:4a, which fit perfectly for Valentine's Day! 

"You are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you." Isaiah 43:4

 These lovely Valentine's Day post cards can be given to loved ones, classmates and friends. We chose to make enough to give one to every resident at a local assisted living & memory care facility. We are always looking for service projects for the kids and this month the kids asked to do this with their finished Valentine postcards. 

There are so many great homemade Valentine's Day card ideas you can find on Pinterest! Follow me on Pinterest to see what ideas I've found. Check out this great round up post that has lots of cool ideas too. 

click HERE to read more

A few years ago I was inspired to make a heart shaped wall quilt. It turned out so cute! If you want to see what I made as well as the ideas that inspired me you will have to check out this post. 

click HERE to read more

Don't forget to follow me here on Mommy Suburbia so you don't miss any future tutorials, great craft ideas or delicious recipes!

6 Ways to Kill The Clutter In Your Home

Does your home feel perpetually messy even though you are always cleaning? Maybe you have a clutter problem. 

Clutter is all that stuff that is lying around like toys that were played with but not put away or a stack of books and magazines that fill up the coffee table or even the pile of school work, envelopes and bills strewn over your counter tops. 
It can definitely feel chaotic and messy when these piles of clutter begin to get out of control. 

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Here are 6 simple ways to embrace your inner neat-freak and take control of the clutter before it gets too far out of hand! 

6 Steps To A More Organized Home 

Observation - Study Your Clutter

Spend time really looking for the areas in your home where the clutter accumulates. Identify areas where there are problems and write it down. It is best to do this room by room so you don't overwhelm yourself. Take good notes so when you get to work fixing the problem areas you have a solid plan to help you start. 

When you are finished studying your clutter step back and think about why this mess is always there. Do you have a habit of leaving your purse and coat on the kitchen chair after you get home? Do blankets get left in piles on the couch? Do your kids play with their toys at a certain time but never pick up? 

Bad habits are a top contributor to creating clutter. If some of your clutter problems are due to bad habits it is time to break those annoying habits. 

It was once believed that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit but recent studies have shown that the average time to break a habit is 66 days which means some people need more days and some fewer. 

The clutter problems due to bad habits will take some hard work and consistency before change is noticed. Stick with it - it will be worth it!

Practice Daily Organization

If you are a procrastinator who leaves cleaning up clutter for the weekend you're really just creating a bigger problem for yourself. By Saturday the clutter monster will be so big and overwhelming you might be tempted to turn and run! 

Instead force yourself to spend 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes before bedtime organizing those problem areas of clutter. Not only will your space feel less chaotic but it will give you a sense of accomplishment. Ten minutes, three times a day is much more manageable than waiting for the weekend to organize!

Use Your Wall Space

If bad habits aren't the problem maybe you don't have enough storage space for your stuff. Look over the plan you created when studying each room. 

Maybe a few more book shelves or floating shelves could become a new home for that stack of Harry Potter novels and magazines that are always taking over the coffee table. Consider investing in some sturdy fabric bins to hang from a hook on a wall where you can store toys or stuffed animals. How about a blanket ladder propped up against a corner wall in the living room to store your blankets? 

FIFO (no, not the name of a new pet!)

FIFO is an inventory term that means first in, first out. When you bring something new into the home, no matter what it is, find something you don't need anymore to get rid of. 

We all have those "things" we've kept forever because we've convinced ourselves that someday we might need it, but we've never use them - now is a good time to get rid of those "things".  

Manage your "inventory" so that clutter is kept at bay. 

Keep A Donation Bin

Tote your donation bin around with you as you spend 10 minutes organizing. Toss items in the bin that you no longer use or need and once it is full bring it to your local charity to give as donations. Remember, one man's trash is another man's treasure!

Use Caddy's and Containers

If you find it hard to get rid of some stuff consider instead using a small caddy or container to store your items. This way everything looks nice and organized rather than strewn all over the top of a counter or table. Keep one in each bedroom, kitchen and living room. Don't let the caddy get too full though, you don't want it overflowing onto a table or the floor!

Follow these six tips on a regular basis and your space will feel much more organized and clean! You and your family will feel more relaxed and not so overwhelmed by all the clutter. 

More cleaning hacks...

Spring is just around the corner! Do you get the "itch" to do some spring cleaning each year? I certainly do! Check out these great Spring cleaning tools and tips to help you get your house in tip top shape this year:

5 Easy Spring Cleaning Tips To Keep Your House In Top Shape

Looking for a great tool to help you plan our your cleaning schedule? Sunny Day Family has the perfect tool to help you create a do-able cleaning routine. 

Save Your Saturday! Use this Cleaning Planner to help you get the job done.

click HERE to get the planner

What are your top organizing and cleaning struggles?  Leave your comments below. 

Don't forget to FOLLOW me too so you don't miss out any other tips, tricks and solutions to keep your house clean and organized. 

Dala Horse Paper Craft For Kids

Are you and your kids feeling cooped up or a little stir crazy this winter? Crafting is a great way to pass the time during a long cold winter and will help keep the winter "blahs" at bay.

The key to engaging your children in some winter craft time is to get creative and offer them projects that they have never done before - bonus if the craft is educational! I love finding projects that are multi-age friendly and can be tied in with our school subject studies.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

My youngest received a monthly subscription box from Raddish Kids recently that fit perfectly with our history lessons. The kit focused on the food of Sweden and included a great craft project the Swedes are known for, the Dala horses.

The Dala horse originated long ago as a way to pass the time during long cold fall and winters in Sweden. These small tailless wooden horses, carved and decorated by hand were created from leftover scraps of wood from building furniture. The carvers of these bright, happy little animals would give them as gifts to their children.

Since we are smack-dab in the middle of a dreary, dark winter season I thought these little horses would be the perfect way to add a little brightness and color to our home! This project also met my two requirements - it is multi-age and educational.

We started the project with a quick geography lesson. I had my younger children find Sweden on our big world map as well as Stockholm, the capital too. My older children spent a few minutes "Googling" Dala horse and read a little bit of the history to the younger children. We also looked at some pictures online of real wooden Dala horses so we had some idea as to the colors used to decorate them. When we were done with the geography and history lesson it was time to bust out the art supplies.

Free Dala Horse Paper Template From Raddishkids.com

In the monthly Raddish kids kit there was a template for us to use on heavy cardstock of a Dala horse. I made some copies with our printer on cardstock so each child had their own and we got started coloring them. The free printable template for this Dala horse can be found on Raddishkids.com under the "Bonus Bites" section.  (Thank you Raddishkids!)

This is a very simple craft project that takes minimal supplies and time. Your children could use paint, markers or colored pencils to color their Dala horses. Once the horse template is colored it just needs to be cut out, folded and a little dab of glue or tape applied to the horses head to attach it to the body and you are all done!

These little guys are so cheerful and bright aren't they! I'd love to see how yours turned out.

Follow me HERE so you don't miss out on future fun kids craft projects! 

Looking for more great craft projects to do with your kids? Check out these other great craft projects that are simple, educational and fun!

Make your own bird feeder from recyclables! Get the full tutorial HERE.

Do your kids love gardening? Let them make their own brick paver garden markers to really make their garden look amazing! Find the complete tutorial HERE!