20 Dadi Maa Ke Nuskhe

Sore Throat in Kids

♦ 1 tsp fresh ginger juice, ½ tsp honey and a pinch of turmeric.  Swallowing this mixture thrice a day helps in soothing the throat

♦ For older kids add ½ a raw onion, 2 cloves, 4-5 mint leaves, 2-3 black peppercorns and a small stick of cinnamon to a glass of water. Boil it till the water becomes one-fourth, strain, add a teaspoon of honey and give to the child while lukewarm.

Common Cold

♦ Warm ¼ bowl mustard oil and while it is warming add 4-5 cloves of chopped garlic. Once the garlic is completely burnt, cool the oil. Apply this on the nose, chest and back of kids just as you would a bottle of Vicks. Cover up and let the kids sleep.

♦ Boil 1 tablespoon pepper powder in a cup of milk along with a pinch of turmeric (haldi) and give once daily for at least 3 days. Helps alleviate cold with phlegm too.

Constipation

♦ If the child is constipated, boil 5-6 Currants (munakka) without seeds in milk. Let them eat the currants and then get them to drink the milk to get relief from constipation.

♦ Boil half a cup of water with a pinch of carom seeds. Once the color of water changes, let the water cool, strain & reserve it for use. For babies give 1 teaspoon at a time twice in a day. For  older babies 2-3 teaspoons twice a day can be given.

Loose Motions

♦ Take 1 tsp each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds and soak in water for an hour. Crush and strain, add a little sugar and drink for relief from diarrhea.

♦ A pinch of nutmeg with a quarter teaspoon of honey is very effective in treating diarrhea in kids.

Colic

♦ Take half a cup of water and a pinch of fennel seeds, boil them till the water becomes half  in quantity, cool & strain the water then give it to kids. 1 teaspoon at a time 2-3 times in a day will give relief from colic.

♦ If the baby’s stomach is hard and the baby is crying then its colic, or gas pain. Dilute a pinch of Hing (asafoetida) in lukewarm water or oil and with the help of cotton apply around the navel in circular motion. This will give immediate relief from colic.

Vomiting

♦ Boil 3 tsp of powdered cardamom peels in 6 cups of water till it is reduced to half. Cool it and keep giving spoonfuls of this water often to get relief from vomiting.

Dry Lips

♦ Apply a little Mustard oil on the child’s belly button after bath every day and they will never have chapped lips.

Minor Burns

♦ Mash a ripe banana and apply on burns. Bandage with betel leaves.

Loss of Appetite

♦ Take equal quantities (a pinch to one-fourth of teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper, asafoetida, dried mint powder, thyme and seeds of large cardamom. Boil in water till one fourth remains. Give it lukewarm combined with a bit of honey for 2 times a day.

Prevent Flathead in babies

♦ Take 1 meter of a soft cotton or muslin pre-washed cloth and make a pillowcase out of it. Fill it with washed and sun-dried mustard seeds (around half a kg) and stitch the fourth side with double or triple stitches. The mustard seed pillow prevents flathead in babies.

Worm Infestation

♦ To relieve children from worm infestation give them a drink of a little fresh buttermilk mixed with a pinch of hing fried in ghee.

Teething Pains

♦ Mix 1 drop clove oil with 2 teaspoons of sunflower oil and massage gently on the gums to relieve teething pains in baby.

Skin rashes

♦ To treat skin rashes and itching, combine a small amount of turmeric powder with aloe vera or water to form a paste and apply on the affected area.

Dry skin

♦ If the child has excessive dry and flaky skin then use a paste made of chickpea flour (besan), Camphor (a pinch) and milk/rose water before bath.

Baby Massage

♦ Use a good Ayurvedic oil to massage babies every day before bath. Massaging not only strengthens baby’s muscles and bones but also gives a bonding time for the mother and baby. Many kids have what is known as “growing pains” and have muscular pain in legs and arms during night. A gentle massage before bedtime would ensure that they don’t have any pains and sleep well.

The oil that Dadi used for all the kids was Dabur Lal Tail and its effects can be seen in all the beautiful and healthy kids in our family including Samaira. I trusted her choice and used Dabur Lal Tail for her body massage everyday.