Well I am a nurse but I can't seem to figure out this whole kid sick thing.  I do go to the doctor for high fevers but for low fevers I just do tylenol/motrin and my kids take multi-vitamins everyday so I just hope for the best.  We have been very blessed to not be sick too often.  I credit that to the fact that I clean with A LOT of bleach (Clorox Cleanup is my staple).  I am not big on herbal remedies because I know that a lot of them have just as many side effects as other medications we just don't hear as much about them because the FDA doesn't report them all.  Anyway just my opinion.

Thanks Brandie for joining me!

I enjoy hearing the various thoughts from people about this.

I definitely do a mix.  But we do use honey for sore throats and coughs. Lemon ginger tea. Lots of Vitamin C, Zinc and Echincea(sp?) I never go to the doctor for just a cold, there is nothing they do anyway. My daughter is 5 and is taking antibiotics for the first time. She has a double ear infection. The high fever brought us to the doctor!

With three kids we've only been to the doctor outside of normal check-ups a handful of times.  And the times we've gone in have been some weird stuff (bacterial infection underneath a fingernail....actually turns BRIGHT green, where the term "green thumb came from).

Regular colds are few and we don't bother with that.  We've had 1 or 2 ear infections, and nothing else really. 

I'm kind of shocked that with three boys 7 & under we've never had sprains, broken bones, or stitches.  In time, I suppose ;)

We go to the doctor a lot. But that's due to Colby's stroke recovery. For my two healthy able bodied kids I rarely take them. The oldest two did have tubes in their ears but my youngest I just left her alone and rarely got her antibiotics for them. She hasn't had as hard a time as the other two did.

I hate giving Colby all his medications. I tried to wean him off of them several times (all with the doctors approval and closely supervised) but he needs them. I finally gave in and upped the doses on three of them and he's happy and smiling and content again. So I guess there is a time and a place for everything.

I do give him Vit D drops and Vit C since he goes to preschool. He's exposed to a lot. And since he's neurological impaired I figure any little immune system boost I can give him is a good thing. But I refuse to give him flu shots. They make him so so sick it's not worth it.

I think it's important to treat each situation separately.  As a parent, you know when your child is sick.  You also have a good idea of how sick.  I've only taken any of my children to a doctor for sickness maybe 2, possibly 3, times.  Once to the emergency room (but only because it was a Sunday and I had no other choice).  We do "well child" visits (though I do fewer with babies once they are about 6 months),  because having 1 child with an extremely rare condition, I know things can be happening in the body that might not even occur to me.

Susan, agreed!! We haven't been to many sick visits. Glad I took her last time though, double ear infection. First time she ever had an antibiotic.

I really am enjoying reading your thoughts and comments on this subject.  If there is one thing I think we all have in common it is our concern for our kids and trying to do what we think is best for them.  That's great!

I do a mix, too. Especially being on my 2nd child, I don't run or call for everything. But I also don't wait until it's super bad. I do use Tylenol for teething and colds, and with my oldest, I may use cold med (OTC) if it gets really bad, but only minimal use of meds. I prefer to just use humidifiers, Vicks baby rub, etc. Hubby and I are on the same page with all that. :-)

Definitely a mix.