Mumsnet knows best?
Mothers’ very modern tips for tackling kids’ ailments
FORGET old wives’ home remedies… modern mums have some very inventive cures for their children’s ailments.
Their unorthodox tips – such as using vodka to treat head lice – from the online forum Mumsnet have been compiled in a book called How To Blitz Nits (And Other Nasties).
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said that the book ‘distils the best hard-won wisdom for parents fighting the urge to drown the entire house in bleach’.
The official NHS advice for head lice is to use over-the-counter lotions and sprays, followed by wet combing.
However, some mothers in the group swear by combing their offspring’s hair with vodka or vinegar, with a proviso: ‘Do it on a Friday, as your child will smell like a chip shop.’
Another mum writes: ‘I make my own mix: base oil with drops of tea tree, eucalyptus and geranium. No nit has been known to survive.’
Other unusual suggested treatments range from the application of nail varnish to treat warts and verrucas – the scourge of every parent whose child has swimming lessons – to shaving cream for getting rid of the smell of sick.
A contributor maintained that starving verrucas of light was helpful.
Giving her suggestion in the book, a mother states: ‘I painted my daughter’s with black nail varnish to obscure the light. Gone after about ten days.’
The official cure for conjunctivitis is antibiotic eye drops for the soreness and antihistamines for allergic reactions.
However, some Mumsnet users favour breast milk and a weak solution of Johnson’s baby shampoo, or cold tea, as the bitter compounds it contains – called tannins – are said to work as antiinflammatories. Other tips on offer include apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic for ringworm – which is usually treated with topical or steroid creams – as well as a diet of raw carrot for children with threadworm.
Middle-class mums with some spare manuka honey are advised that they can use it as a remedy for molluscum – a viral infection that affects the skin.
The testimony in the book states: ‘My two-year-old had spots for four months and they were spreading.
‘We applied it twice a day and within three weeks they were gone.’
Meanwhile, there is also some helpful advice for parents of children with tummy bugs in order that they can protect their magnolia carpets and sofas.
Shaving cream is said to be great for getting rid of the smell of sick from upholstery, while puppy pads can absorb any vomit which misses the sick bowl on the carpet beneath a child’s bed.
However, the website also stresses that the tips should not be used as a substitute for medical advice and tells parents that they should check any health concerns with their family doctor.