I as a parent I am always worried about my active toddler’s health first & everything else comes to me later. With changes in weather, toddlers or babies often tend to catch cold which is due to virus & cannot be treated with antibiotics. Infact I personally prefer choosing safe & effective home remedies instead of giving medicines for cold. Though home remedies are slow, but it helps to ease the symptoms quicker & calms the child.

There are many effective home remedies which you can give to babies as young as 3 months like Steaming, Nasal drops, Elevating head, Warm Water, Mustard oil massage, Turmeric Milk, Tulsi – Ajwain Kadha, Eucalyptus oil, etc.

One such recipe which does wonders to my toddler is Tulsi – Ajwain Kadha.

Ingredients

• 4-5 Tulsi leaves
• 1 tsp Ajwain
• 1/2” grated ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• A pinch Sitopaladi
• Jaggery
• 1 glass water

Method

Boil everything together (except jaggery) till water comes down to 1/4th quantity. Turn off the gas & add jagerry. Let the mixture cool & then strain everything & store it in a glass container in refrigerator.

You can give 2 spoons of this kadha to your child everyday (specially during winters) – morning after waking up & bedtime before sleeping. (Just make sure you remove it from the refrigerator & let it come to normal temperature).  I do not say that your child will never catch cold but it definitely builds immunity & makes your child feel better. Also for babies from 6months to 1 year please avoid cinnamon, sitopaladi and for the other ingredients do consult your pediatrician.

— Ruchita Jogani Dedhia —