Celebrating 50 years of bouncing back This winter we are helping kids beat those common ailments and get them back to their normal (well normal ish!) selves Lets Kids be Kids years 1
Contents When your kids aren t their normal (well, normal...ish!) selves, it can be a bit worrying as a parent. To celebrate 50 years of helping kids bounce back to their normal selves, we want to share our tips and advice to help banish those common winter ailments, plus some great practical solutions and anecdotes from Parenting Expert, Sue Atkins. 1. Know the signs this winter: Common childhood ailments and symptoms 2. Discover our whole range of products, to help keep your child their happy self this winter 3. Expert advice from Parenting Expert, Sue Atkins 2 back
Know the signs: Common childhood ailments and symptoms If your child isn t feeling well, it can be hard working out what s wrong and how to make them feel better. Here you can read our handy guide to common childhood illnesses that might strike your kids down this winter. Remember this information is just a guide. If you re worried about your child, always get in touch with your GP. Cold The common cold is, just as it s name suggests, one of the most common illnesses that can make your child feel poorly, especially at this time of year. In fact 90% of kids 0-12 years had a cold in the last year Signs your child may have a cold: A runny or blocked nose A sore throat Coughing Sneezing General tiredness A fever A headache There is no better feeling for me as a mother than when my child s been poorly and they finally start to feel better How can I help my child bounce back? There s no cure for the common cold, but there s plenty you can do to help your child feel more like themselves again: Make sure your child gets plenty of restful sleep Keep them well hydrated If they have a fever, keep them cool - don t wrap them up too warmly 3
Flu Flu is more severe than the common cold and can make your child feel very down in the dumps. Look out for these common flu symptoms: A fever that comes on rapidly Aches and pains in their muscles A headache Looking or feeling tired Chills A dry or chesty cough I always know if my son is poorly when he will not eat pizza, or lick the bowl when I have made a cake. So I know when he is getting better when he asks for pizza. How can I help my child bounce back? There s no cure for flu and it can t be treated with antibiotics because it is caused by a virus, but don t worry, there are lots of ways you can help your child bounce back by treating aspects of their symptoms: Keep them well hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids If your child is distressed, you could give them a paracetamol-based medicine, like CALPOL Infant Suspension or CALPOL SIXPLUS Suspension. It starts to work on a fever in just 15 minutes Aches and pains can make it hard for your little one to settle and get the rest they need but a paracetamol-based medicine, like CALPOL Infant Suspension, can provide pain relief CALPOL SIXPLUS Suspension (from 6 years) contains paracetamol, for pain and fever relief; CALPOL Infant Suspension (from 2 months, weighing over 4kg and not premature) contains paracetamol, for pain and fever relief. Always read the label. 4
Congestion and Blocked Noses Unfortunately blocked noses are common as those winter months hit and can leave your child feeling under the weather. Following these simple tips can help your child breathe more easily and you breathe a sigh of relief! Signs your little one may have a blocked nose: They may have mucus build up They might not sleep as easily They may have difficulty feeding when they are a baby I will know when my daughter is back to her normal self when she is laughing, joking and having fun with her sister How can I help my child bounce back? If your child has a blocked nose, you can make their breathing easier by raising the pillow end of your child s bed or placing a pillow under the mattress (although please don t put anything under the mattress of a baby younger than one year old) For stuffy little noses, a gentle option is to get rid of the mucus. A nonmedicine, natural treatment like CALPOL Soothe & Care Nasal Spray or, CALPOL Blocked Nose Spray or Saline Drops can help you do this. CALPOL Soothe & Care Saline Nasal Spray and Drops (suitable from birth), CALPOL Blocked Nose Spray (suitable from 3 years) are non-medicines. Always read the label. 5
Sore Throat Sore throats can be very annoying for your child and can cause a sharp or scratchy pain. Signs your child may have a sore throat: Enlarged and tender glands in their neck Discomfort when they swallow Their tonsils look swollen How can I help my child bounce back? CALPOL has a range of medicines containing paracetamol or ibuprofen that can help soothe your child s painful throat. Some great non-medicinal tips to help your child bounce back quicker also include: Give your child plenty of cool or warm fluids, and avoid very hot drinks Get your child to eat cool, soft foods After a long bout of sickness, seeing my little one eat her favourite poached eggs on toasted muffins always lets me know she is bouncing back! If your child is old enough give them lozenges, hard sweets, ice cubes or ice lollies to suck but remember, don t give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking CALPOL Infant Suspension (from 2 months, weighing over 4kg and not premature) contains paracetamol, for pain and fever relief, CALPOL SIXPLUS Suspension (from 6 years) contains paracetamol, for pain and fever relief, CALPROFEN Ibuprofen Suspension (from 3 months, weighing over 5kg), contains ibuprofen, for pain & fever. Always read the label. 6
Discover our whole range of products, to help keep your child their happy self this winter The makers of CALPOL understand that when your child is feeling poorly, you want to help get them bouncing back to their normal (well normal-ish!) self again. The CALPOL range of products have been specially developed for children. Find the right product from the CALPOL family for your child and their illness and help your child bounce back this winter: Pain & Fever CALPOL Infant Suspension paracetamol 2+ MONTHS (weighing more than 4kg and not premature) Gentle but effective pain and fever relief Strawberry flavour Sugar-free or sugar & colour free Also available in sachets Starts to work on fever in 15 minutes CALPOL SixPlus Suspension paracetamol 6+ YEARS Effective pain and fever relief Strawberry flavour Sugar-free or sugar & colour-free Also available in in orodispersible Fastmelts formulation and in sachets Starts to work on fever in 15 minutes CALPROFEN Ibuprofen Suspension ibuprofen 3 MONTHS TO 12 YEARS (weighing more than 5kg) Effective relief of aches, pains and fever Strawberry flavour Sugar-free or sugar Gets to work on a fever in just 15 mins and gives relief for up to 8 hours Cough Teething CALCOUGH Infant Syrup glycerol 3+ MONTHS Helps soothe and relieve tickly coughs Apple flavour Sugar & colour-free CALCOUGH Children s Syrup glycerol and sucrose 1+ YEARS Helps relieve dry, tickly coughs & sore throats Blackcurrant flavour CALGEL Teething Gel lidocaine hydrochloride & cetylpyridinium chloride 3+ MONTHS Rapid soothing relief from teething pain Sugar free 7 Always read the label.
Cold symptoms - Congestion non-medicine CALPOL Soothe & Care Saline Nasal Drops 0+ MONTHS Natural congestion relief Helps unblock noses in 5-10 minutes Gently washes away mucus to help babies and young children breathe more easily CALPOL Soothe & Care Saline Nasal Spray 0+ MONTHS Gentle and easy to use spray Natural congestion relief Helps unblock noses in 5-10 minutes Gently washes away mucus to help babies and young children breathe more easily CALPOL Soothe & Care Vapour Plug & Nightlight 3+ MONTHS Soothing 8 hour nighttime comfort A blend of aromatic oils including lavender, chamomile and eucalyptus help soothe and comfort your child at night time whilst helping to clear and ease breathing CALPOL Blocked Nose Spray 3+ YEARS Gentle and easy to use nasal spray A natural isotonic nasal saline spray Treats blocked, dry and irritated nasal passages, caused by cold and flu Always read the label. 8
We wanted to find out more about those moments when you just know your child has bounced back after being poorly. So we asked 2000 parents* how they know when their child has bounced back, what they say helps their children feel better, and how it feels as a parent when their child is back to their normal (well, normal ish!) self. Here s what we found out 68% of parents used the word relief when describing how they feel when their child bounced back from illness 63% of all parents say that their children start to eat and enjoy food again when they are bouncing back after being poorly Cuddles are key! of parents learnt the importance 59% 61% of cuddles from their own mums and dads to help look after a poorly child Over half of parents say that their children are cheered up by their favourite TV shows and movies being played on repeat 53% of parents said that they have their child s favourite foods and drinks in the house to perk them up when they are feeling poorly A stuffed toy is a firm favourite to help make 1 in 3 children feel better when they are poorly Each of my children have a special stuffed teddy bear they have had since birth. These bears have been through operations, tummy bugs and everything else in between. When my children are poorly, just having a trusted cuddly toy really does make all the difference, as every time they ve been ill they have survived, and they believe the teddy bear is partially responsible! *Based on a OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK parents, September 2016 9
Expert advice from Sue Atkins: Building the ability to bounce back in your kids. Sue Atkins is a Parenting Expert, author of Parenting Made Easy How to Raise Happy Children & Raising Happy Children for Dummies. She says: Kids are amazing. They are funny, quirky and unique in the way they handle life. As parents, we really can t protect our children from absolutely everything, not even getting poorly, as much as we want to. However, we can help our kids build resiliency and the ability to bounce back after common illnesses. For me, I knew when my kids had bounced back when Will, my son, asked for his football again and wanted me to play in goal, or when my daughter, Molly, jumped on her bike and raced around the garden. With other children it might be that their energy and humour returns, or there is something in their eyes, that little glint of mischief, that they lose when they are poorly or under the weather. As a parent you know your child better than anyone in the world and you can just tell when they are starting to feel like themselves again. 10
Here are a few of my top tips to help your children bounce back : Empathise with your child s feelings and explain to them why they are feeling under the weather. Try saying things like, You have to rest because you have a cold but mummy will help make you feel better When they have bounced back, have fun role-play scenarios and get your kids to practice how to respond in certain situations such as playing doctor and patient. Just like practicing an instrument or practising a sport, children can practice problem solving. This practice makes them understand what was wrong with them and help them bounce back Children love T-I-M-E, so find the time to play with them, talk to them, eat with them and have fun both when they are ill, and when they have bounced back The Parenting Expert Sue Atkins was paid by the makers of CALPOL for her time in providing this information. She does not endorse any CALPOL products. 11
back years UK/CA/16-7884 Date of preparation: October 2016 12