Toddler Teething Remedies

Growing teeth is hard, man. Sharp little pearls ripping through your gums sounds exactly as bad as it feels for our little babes. When your little one is teething it can cause all kinds of symptoms including fever, irritability, upset tummies, and swollen gums. And, unfortunately, you'll get bouts of teething on and off for the first 3 years or so. No one likes to see their children suffer, so I've compiled a simple little list of tips to help ease the pain and hopefully get you both some peace!

1. Freeze. Everything.

Freeze their teething toys. Freeze some yogurt pops or their favorite fruit. Put some water inside and freeze their pacifier. Freeze a wet washcloth. Anything they can put in their mouth will be even better to chew on when it’s cold.

2. Teething toys

There are millions of teething toys out there and you may have to do some experimenting with your little one to figure out which one they like the best. They are generally fairly inexpensive so you can buy a few and see which one provides the most relief! Sophie the Giraffe is a popular one but my little guy always preferred ones with smaller narrower pieces that he could get back in between his molars.

3. Brush their teeth

Find a good silicone toothbrush (we love our little Nuby set) and it’ll double for early dental hygiene and health as well as a perfect teething toy! You can also check out the Baby Banana that’s very popular and available almost anywhere baby items are sold. My little guy loves when we gently brush his gums when he’s got new teeth coming in — standby for extra drool on this one!

4. Mesh Pacifiers

You can also get a few different styles of these and they’re all available where most baby items are (for sure Target, Walmart, Amazon). These are great because you can put a variety of things in them - they open up at the top and you can add food for your little one to chew on without choking. Our favorite is frozen fruit like blueberries, strawberries, watermelon - but you can put straight up ice in here as well to really numb and soothe. Make sure you have a bib handy for this one, it can get messy!

5. Longer naps or early bedtime

Teething can, unfortunately, come with some pretty crummy side effects (like the teething itself isn’t bad enough) like fevers, tummy aches, loss of appetite, etc. Encourage your little babe to get as much rest as possible. Take a couple extra laps around the block if they fall asleep in the car. Try a warm, calming bath and snuggling up for bedtime stories a little earlier than usual.

6. Don’t be afraid to use the hard stuff

Always check with your doctor first, but baby Tylenol can really take the edge off some painful gums. We usually manage okay during the day with quick remedies and extra snuggles, but when I know my little guy needs some much needed rest, we give him some Tylenol either with dinner or before bathtime so the pain has eased by the time we’re reading bedtime stories and bothers him less throughout the night.

7. Patience. It’ll be over soon.

Honestly, sometimes *you* are the one who needs a remedy for teething because the fussing becomes so taxing. Take a deep breath and remember that this phase of growing teeth comes in spurts and it won’t last forever. Before you know it, you’ll be rejoicing with the same child when their first tooth falls out. Extend a little grace to your little one and know this is not forever.