Tips for Autumn

Quick Tips for Sinus Comfort

Are your sinuses bothering you? Between moldy fallen leaves, dry household heating, and cold/flu season, you and your child may wind up with clogged, swollen sinuses that make you both miserable. Here are a few quick tips:

• Use a plain, drug-free sterile saline nasal solution to rinse out and moisturize nasal passages and thin out the mucus. Try Simply Saline or Little Noses, available at most drugstores.
• Take a steambath and breathe deeply. Turn up the hot water, close the door, and enjoy the steam vapors. Great for the skin too!
• Use a humidifier in your bedroom or work area, being sure to keep it clean.
• Eucalyptus can help open up nasal passages. Sniff eucalyptus essential oil or on a tissue/handkerchief, or add eucalyptus oil or actual leaves to boiling water, turn off the stove, and breathe in the steam. Or try putting a few dabs of Vick’s VapoRub beneath your nostrils. It’s a very intense smell with a warm goopy feeling that you and your child will either love or hate.
• If you have chronic sinus problems, consider whether you might have food allergies or sensitivities that might contribute. Try eliminating ALL dairy for two weeks and see if that helps. Or try eliminating all wheat products for two weeks. Work with a nutritionist or allergist if you suspect food reactions.

Halloween

Halloween can be loads of fun for kids, but truly scary for others. Consider this:

• Never force your child to wear a costume.
• Let your child help select a costume, within reason, and depending on age. While you may love the idea of a bumblebee suit with wings and bobbing antennae, a silly shirt or a handheld prop such as a magic wand or light saber may be all that he can handle.
• Wearing a mask may be intolerable. Let him wear a costume and hold the mask with him hands or skip it all together.
• If costumed, make sure it’s something she can partially or fully remove on the sidewalk or at a party so she doesn’t have to go home if she becomes uncomfortable.
• Now is a great time to experiment with face make-up as tactile exploration. However, bring baby wipes to remove it just in case.
• Avoid sugar overload. Yes, this may be the one time of year you allow your child to fill up on candy, but don’t overdo it!
• If attending a Halloween party, follow the party tips we outline in our book, Raising a Sensory Smart Child, including:
  • Explain in advance what to expect at the party.
  • Identify a “safe spot” to take breaks if needed to avoid sensory overload.
  • Bring a comfort object or a hand fidget to get needed calming input.

© 2004-2023 Lindsey Biel

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