Old Wives Tales

I'm not a huge believer in many of the old wives tales floating around. I don't think that you can tell the sex of an unborn baby by the way you're carrying. I know for a fact that going outside with wet hair is NOT how you catch a cold. I am also pretty sure that chocolate doesn't give you acne or my face would look like a hormonal teenage boy's. That being said, when you are at the tail end of 2 weeks with no sleep because both of your children have been waking up multiple times a night, either coughing or because they couldn't breathe through their nose, you are willing to try anything to get some rest. Enter my MIL.

My hubby told his mom that the kids have been really sick and we are dying over here from lack of sleep. She gave some advice that I was sure had to be one of these old wives tales. She said, right before we put the kids to bed, we should rub Vicks VapoRub on the soles of their feet and put cotton socks on them. This is supposed to stop their coughing and let them sleep through the night. I admit I was skeptical but willing to try ANYTHING short of voodoo to get Nate to sleep. He was coughing as we were getting ready for bed and I didn't hold out much hope for this trick to work, but I did it anyway.  Ten minutes after I put the Vicks on his feet he was out like a light and sleeping soundly. He did not wake up 1 time last night!!! I wish I could say the same thing for baby girl, but she wasn't waking up coughing. Her sinuses are so stuffed up that it is coming out of her tear ducts.  Poor pitiful baby.

I have to say that I am a firm believer in this trick and will do it again tonight. I'm pretty sure Vicks doesn't endorse this application of their product, but I work for a pharmaceutical company and know that off-label applications of some products are often more successful than their originally intended use! Case in point, I have been rubbing the Vicks on his chest for days with no improvement in cough or sleep. It just goes to show you that not all old wives tales are bunk!


*Not a sponsored post. Do not use regular Vicks on children under 2 years old. Use Baby Vicks instead*