Top 20 Best Folk Remedies for Smart Parenting and Child Health

Babies often cry at night due to various reasons. Mothers can apply various methods to prevent this condition, reducing stress and fatigue.

Mothers can warm up betel leaves and press them against the baby's belly. Then, hold the baby close to the mother, pressing their stomachs together to transfer warmth. This will help the baby stop crying at night.

When the baby cries at night, mothers can use 8 crushed grains of black pepper mixed with warm water to create a sticky mixture. Before the baby goes to sleep, apply a little of this paste to the baby's belly (only applicable if the baby's navel is dry and clean), then secure it with a clean cloth. This is a traditional remedy that many mothers have applied, and it has reduced night crying in many babies, so mothers can try it out.

Constipation is a common condition in infants, and the causes may be due to the mother's diet lacking fiber, lacking vegetable nutrients, excess protein, and the baby drinking formula milk that is not suitable for digestion or not properly mixed. Unlike adults who can supplement fiber on their own, mothers have to do that for their babies by consuming more fiber for the baby to absorb through breast milk. Also, mothers can give the baby a little fruit juice, massage the baby, or let the baby bathe in warm water. These are internal solutions to prevent constipation. However, when the baby is uncomfortable with constipation, mothers can apply the following two effective folk methods to help the baby defecate immediately:

• Use a cleaned asparagus spear, slowly insert the tip into the baby's anus, gently rotate a few times, and the baby will defecate immediately.
• Apply a little pure forest honey evenly behind the baby's anus, gently rotate it into the baby's anus, and shortly after, the baby will defecate immediately. Regularly applying this method, the baby will quickly overcome constipation.

Cold, cough, and runny nose are common conditions in young children, and if the baby has a weak immune system, this condition becomes more severe, and the baby will often suffer from cold, cough, and runny nose. When the baby is sick, everyone worries, and many mothers, out of excessive worry, immediately take their children to the hospital for examination and hope for a quick recovery with various antibiotics. But in reality, mothers can use folk remedies to help the baby recover from the illness and avoid the side effects of Western medicine:

• Mothers should use a fresh ginger root, clean it, mash it, and then boil it in hot water to bathe the baby. Remember to bathe the baby in warm water, let the baby soak in this ginger water for a while so that the ginger oil can treat the cold for the baby. Don't think that not bathing the sick child will help, the baby, who is sick and sweats a lot, needs to be hygienic to avoid worsening the condition. But remember to bathe in warm ginger water, in a windproof place for the baby to recover quickly.
• Mothers can also use eucalyptus or peppermint oil applied to the soles of the baby's feet and gently massage the baby, which will help the baby with cold and runny nose. Remember to put socks on the baby.

• Use garlic to treat colds, which is also extremely effective. You can crush a few garlic cloves, steam them with a little honey, and give the baby the water to help the baby recover from the cold effectively.

Try some folk remedies at home to see if the baby gets better. If not, reduce the dosage and see a doctor. It's best not to use antibiotics for the baby unless necessary.

Vaccination, especially combination vaccines like 3-in-1 or 5-in-1, can be quite painful for babies. Often, after vaccination, babies experience a fever, which is dangerous, uncomfortable, and painful for both the baby and the mother.

There is a folk remedy that effectively minimizes this condition. Before the baby goes for vaccination, the mother should use a handful of basil leaves, clean and grind them into water for the mother to consume, or grind them into water for the mother to drink. The natural antibiotics present in basil leaves help prevent the baby from getting a fever after vaccination.

After vaccination, mothers should remember to cut a thin slice of potato and apply it to the injection site for the baby. This not only helps reduce pain but also effectively reduces swelling.

Teething fever is a condition that almost every child experiences. When a mother notices that the baby has a runny nose, is fussy, has a fever, and is uncomfortable, pay attention to the baby's teeth as they are teething. During this period, the baby will cry, be in pain, and feel uncomfortable, making both the mother and the baby exhausted. There is an effective way to minimize this condition that mothers should remember: When the baby is around 3 months and 10 days old, take a small handful of basil leaves, wash them, grind the basil leaves to extract the juice, and apply it to the baby's gums. This will help prevent fever due to teething later on.

If a mother forgets to apply this method and the baby is teething, in pain, and fussy, use fresh basil leaves, wash them, squeeze them well to extract the juice into a cup. After the baby finishes breastfeeding, the mother takes a clean cloth, dips it into the basil water, and gently rubs it on the baby's gum area for relief.

If the baby is fussy, take a stainless steel spoon, put it in the freezer for a few minutes, then take it out and apply it to the baby's sore gum area. The coolness can help alleviate pain and stop fussiness.

Coated tongue is a condition that every child experiences. In addition to using saline solution to clean the baby's mouth and tongue area thoroughly, you can apply the following method, which is very effective.

Take a handful of chives, wash and finely mash them. Take a small piece of cotton and dip it into the chive water to clean the baby's tongue several times a day, and the coated tongue condition in the baby will disappear.

Cough is a common symptom in many children, and almost every child experiences it. When your child has cough, don't rush to buy antibiotics for them because if the child gets too familiar with Western medicine too soon, it's not good for them. It often leads to ineffective treatment with pharmaceuticals later on. First, try applying folk remedies. If there is no improvement, then take the child to see a doctor:

• When the child has a cough, use a few kumquats (note to find clean ones, not sprayed with stimulants), wash them, cut them in half, then steam them with honey or rock sugar. After steaming, mash them for the child to drink kumquat water, which is extremely effective in treating cough.
• When the child has a cough with a lot of phlegm, you can use chive leaves mashed and steamed with rock sugar, then use this water for the child to drink. It is extremely effective in relieving phlegm and treating cough. Because chives are warm, slightly spicy, non-toxic, combined with honey or rock sugar, it helps to effectively treat cough in children.

Diaper rash is caused by many reasons, it could be due to the mother not keeping the genital areas such as the buttocks, armpits, hands, feet, and baby's neck clean. Because the baby wears diapers for too long, or the type of powder used on the baby's skin is not suitable, all are causes of diaper rash for the baby.

At this time, to rescue the baby from this painful diaper rash , the mother can use green tea water to clean the areas affected by diaper rash for the baby, or boil water with khaki leaves or basil leaves, bitter melon leaves, then bathe the baby. This type of water not only helps minimize diaper rash effectively but also prevents the baby from itching and uncomfortable rashes. This is an extremely safe and effective folk method for the baby's sensitive skin.

Hiccup causes discomfort for adults, and especially for small children with hiccups, it is even more uncomfortable. In addition to giving the baby a little water to see if this hiccup condition improves, there is another way: you can use a little sugar on the baby's tongue. The sweet taste of sugar permeating the tongue will bring the diaphragm back to a normal state and help the baby get rid of hiccups and discomfort. Although it's just a little trick, it's extremely effective in helping the baby get rid of hiccups.

Swaddling the baby with a blanket or diaper will provide a sense of safety and warmth as if in the mother's womb. However, not every mother knows the correct and reasonable way to swaddle a newborn. Mothers need to understand how to swaddle a newborn as well as some important considerations:

• Place a square blanket under the baby's crib in a diamond shape.
• Fold the top corner towards the middle of the blanket to create a straight line.
• Lay the baby on the blanket so that the upper edge is right behind the neck.
• Place the baby's hands on the abdomen and fold one corner of the blanket over the body, keeping the hands on top.
• Fold the lower corner over the shoulder and the remaining arm.
• Fold the remaining corner at the bottom over the legs onto the baby's body and tuck the excess of the blanket under the baby.

Spitting up is a common condition in many newborns. After eating, the baby spits up completely, making the mother extremely worried because of the fear that the baby cannot absorb nutrients. Many mothers are very worried about this vomiting condition in their babies.

After breastfeeding, remember to lift the baby up, press the baby against you, and keep the baby's neck straight for support. Avoid letting the baby lie down or move too much, as it is more likely to spit up. There is a folk remedy that effectively prevents vomiting and spitting up in babies.

Use young bamboo shoots to boil water for the baby to drink. If the baby is a boy, boil 7 bamboo shoots, if the baby is a girl, use 9 bamboo shoots to boil water for the baby to drink every day, and the baby will no longer experience spitting up.

Small children's spit-up spots are a horror for many parents. In addition to worrying that what the child ate will come out, dealing with clothes, belongings, and the floor covered in spit-up is also exhausting for parents.

Simply sprinkle baking soda (salt medicine) where the baby vomits, and immediately the unpleasant smell will disappear, and the spit-up area will be cleaned.

Newborns crying during outings always make mothers, especially first-timers, worry the most. Since the baby is still very small, the cry is the only signal for the child to communicate with the parents.

Newborns crying during outings can be quite challenging to soothe. To avoid this situation, when going out, mothers can wrap a clove of garlic on themselves. You can peel a garlic clove, attach it to a small bag using tape, and pin it to the baby's clothes. This clever trick will be more effective if the mother peels the garlic clove, crushes it slightly to let the garlic scent diffuse, which is excellent for disinfecting the space. Alternatively, mothers can use lipstick, mark a small dot on the baby's forehead to 'mark'.

Everyone knows that mother's milk is the best for newborns and infants. However, what makes mothers worried is how to have enough milk for breastfeeding and how to make the milk fragrant? After giving birth, not every mother has an abundant supply of milk and knows how to increase breast milk production, as well as make it smell pleasant for the baby. Here are some small tips to help you have more and more fragrant milk for your little one.

• To prevent milk from having a fishy odor that may be unpleasant for the baby and visitors, mothers can take about 7 jackfruit leaves, boil them, and drink the water. This method not only stimulates milk production but also helps the milk to be fragrant, eliminating the characteristic fishy odor.
• Put about 1 can of sticky rice into a pot and cook it like making sticky rice. After the sticky rice is cooked, mothers add finely chopped purple onions to the pot (about 50-100g), then stir evenly. Let it cook for a while. Next, mothers put the sticky rice in a small cloth, evenly covering both breasts. Note that the cloth should be applied when the sticky rice is still hot, but the temperature should be monitored to be bearable to avoid burns. This method is applied when the mother has just given birth and is still in the first month, not only making the milk fragrant but also helping the milk return quickly.
• Mix white wine and yeast until it becomes soft, then mothers apply it around the breasts for about 20 minutes. The yeast and warm wine will quickly draw the milk ducts, and the milk will mature and become more delicious. Ensure that these methods are very effective, as many mothers have successfully applied them, resulting in a plentiful milk supply. For better results, mothers can ask fathers for a massage!

Sugarcane juice is indeed a great secret that helps mothers have a clean and easy delivery. From the 5th month onwards, mothers should drink 3 glasses of sugarcane juice every week. In the last month, reduce it to 2 glasses per week. For mothers who go for prenatal check-ups, the doctor advises that if lacking amniotic fluid, you can increase the amount until the next check-up. The doctor recommends stabilizing and gradually reducing it. According to folk experience, eating a lot of sugarcane in the last month of pregnancy helps the baby gain weight quickly, and the skin does not become rigid during delivery. Benefits of sugarcane juice that expectant mothers should know:

• Helps maintain rosy skin
• Reduces morning sickness
• Improves immunity and prevents various illnesses
• Prevents constipation and promotes good digestion.

Note when drinking sugarcane juice: Do not drink too much as it can increase the risk of gestational diabetes and even affect the health of the mother and baby. Pregnant women should supplement various nutrients from different food sources.

In addition to sugarcane juice, drinking coconut water, and consuming fermented glutinous rice paste are also ways to facilitate childbirth and ensure a clean delivery, often applied by many mothers. Coconut water can be consumed from the 3rd month to ensure an adequate amniotic fluid supply and the baby is born with clear skin and a beautiful rosy complexion.

Adults grappling with the flu already feel exhausted, and the condition is even more draining for young children. Furthermore, children with the flu face the risk of developing serious complications. Influenza is a viral infection that primarily targets the respiratory system – the nose, throat, and lungs. For most healthy individuals, the illness will resolve on its own. However, certain specific groups, such as infants under 2 years old, have a heightened risk of severe complications, even endangering their lives.

If your child has just caught the flu, sneezing excessively and having a runny nose, bake garlic for them to eat. For infants, bake and cook garlic, mix it with water, and let the baby consume it. As for older children, bake 1 – 2 small cloves of garlic for them to eat raw. Baked garlic is sweet and aromatic, so mothers need not worry about it being too spicy or the child refusing to eat.

In hot weather, high temperatures make children sweat more, leading to diaper rash and itching in young ones. Treating diaper rash with bitter gourd is an effective method that mothers should apply. The method of treating diaper rash with bitter gourd is as follows: Mothers use 1 or 2 bitter gourds, add a few leaves of basil, wash them thoroughly, and grind them into water for the baby's bath. (Remember to clean the bitter gourd thoroughly before use).

How to bathe a newborn with bitter gourd:

• Pour water into the tub. Add hot water first and then add the water from the bitter gourd. Mothers should check the water temperature to be suitable.
• Use a clean cloth to gently wipe each part of the baby's body, especially the area with small diaper rash bumps. Start from the cleanest area: the face, then move on to the arms, behind the back, lift the baby's chin, and clean the neck area.
• After bathing with bitter gourd, bathe the baby again with warm clear water.

To have smooth and fair skin, when the baby is 6 months old, mothers can give coconut water. When introducing coconut water to the baby, start with 2 – 3 teaspoons per day, once a day, then gradually increase both in density and quantity.

Coconut water should be consumed during the day, and it is advisable to choose freshly extracted coconut water. Do not let the baby drink coconut water left outside for more than 10 minutes, and absolutely do not store coconut water in the refrigerator.

To have long and gracefully arched eyebrows, right after giving birth and before the baby is a month old, mothers can buy betel leaves, cut off the stems, and use the sap to draw the shape of the eyebrows. It is believed that the eyebrows will grow beautifully along that curve.

Alternatively, if betel leaves are not available, you can use wild grass to draw eyebrow shapes for the baby during the first month. Actively drawing eyebrows with wild grass also makes them dark, neat, quickly growing, and with a curved shape as drawn.

Children may experience stomachaches due to various reasons, such as constipation, diarrhea, stress, overeating, food poisoning, food allergies, and more severe conditions like appendicitis. The pain can make the child irritable, affect their appetite, and disrupt sleep.

To keep the baby's stomach healthy, after the baby has just shed its umbilical cord, mothers can mix coconut oil with a bit of baking soda that has been roasted and crushed. Then, cut small square pieces of cotton, soak them in the mixture, and apply it to the baby's belly. Remove it when the cotton pad is dry. This trick only needs to be done once, and the baby will be free from stomachaches.