Grandma Knows Best

When does Grandma not know best? In all your questions of need, whether about how to get rid of the chicken pocks to avoiding a sore throat, grandma has the answers!

It’s the time of the season where the sneezes and coughing is bound to occur. Now what did grandma tell you?
 
Wear socks at all times.
According to my grandma, if I forget to put on my wool socks, I’d soon be bedridden with a fever and a stuffy nose… and she was usually right.
 
Cover up and wear layers.
If it wasn’t embarrassing enough to have a wardrobe of huge scarves, mittens and the dreadful turtlenecks as a young girl, you did learn that warmth trumps shivering and shattering teeth. Wearing layers saves you from being that girl with her neck or hands exposed in the cold, wintry mix.

 
Drink tea with honey and a little lemon juice.
Tea, tea, tea. If it wasn’t my grandma telling me, it was my grandpa always pushing me to stay hydrated with warm liquids! Warming your body, with the common breakfast tea and a spoonful of honey, is really relaxing and could even cure a cold coming on.  Lemon juice is also a common remedy to relieve a sour stomach.

Don’t leave your house with wet hair.
I don’t know about you, but if I left my grandma’s house with wet hair from a quick shower, she would make me march right back up the stairs to dry it properly! I would always respond with, “but Grandma, it’ll be dry soon; we’ll be in the car anyway!”
 
Wrong response. I would get a return lecture of how drying my hair for ten minutes would be much better than two weeks of sneezing and shivering. She also would never want to take the blame when my mother nagged her about letting me out with wet hair.
 
Drink orange juice.
You need vitamin C, period. When did grandma not endorse vitamin C?  Though my grandma can help a lot with preventing a cold, she also threw some odd sentiments out there that I hadn’t understood until now.

 
Be careful who you give your cookies to.
Now we all know that being a lady is a lot better than well, having a lot of people with your cookies. This quiet tip makes you realize that grandma really does know best!
 
Always be respectful and know your manners.
Saying please and thank you are common courtesy statements we learn at a young age. Grandma always would nudge my arm if I didn’t react to a compliment or be courteous when I wanted something. I always hear her in the back of my head when I need to be on my best behavior.
 
As much as these tips and commands frustrated me as a young girl, I know now that without following these guidelines a sore throat or stuffy nose is on its way!