Sick Kit Tips and Tricks

Cold and Flu Season

Cold and flu season, or all year round if you have a kid in daycare or preschool, are rough. Having sick kids is never fun, and oftentimes there isn’t a lot we can do for them except wait it out. Here is a list of tips, tricks, and items to keep on hand for when your littles are sick to help ease symptoms and make caring for them all title easier.

With any medical needs please talk to your pediatrician, this is not meant to be medical advice, simply what I have used for my kids and myself.

Bucket - any large flat bottom bucket, I used an ice cream tub. This is perfect for holding all of the stuff you want near by when sick. My son's water, Gatorade, crackers, throw up cup, and even the thermometer all fit in the bucket beautifully. Drinks and snacks stayed upright and didn't ruin the couch, and everything was so easy to transfer from couch to bed.

Cough

Medicine - Before age 4 pretty much the only cold medicine available is Hylands. (2+ or baby 6months+) We have definitely used it, but I'm not convinced it did much good and it gives my kid diarrhea. Once your child reaches age 4 a few cough medicines are available. Children's Mucinex has been the easiest for me to find and we like it. They have a dye free options too if your kid is weird about medicine color like mine. Be sure to check the age on the medicines though, since most are 6+, especially night meds.

Honey Sticks (for kids 1+) - My son is a very picky eater and would fight us tooth and nail when we tried to give him honey on a spoon. When we gave him a honey stick he thought it was a treat like candy or a popsicle and sucked it down no problem. There are a few honey based cough medicines as well that are for ages 3+, but the ingredients are pretty much just honey so we prefer the sticks.

Honey Suckers (for kids 3+) - Once your child reaches age 3 you can

add these to your kit. Kids are not supposed to have cough drops, so these are the best alternative. They do have a demulcent in them which helps relieve irritation in the throat. Plus the act of sucking on them helps ease a cough. We’ve used and liked both Burt’s Bees Throat Soothing Pops (higher dose of pectin), and Little Remedies Sore Throat Pops.

Vicks - Vicks is great for a cough. I recommend putting it on their chest (especially while they are in the tub) as well as on the bottom of their feet. Regular Vicks is made for ages 2 and up, but they do make a baby version, 3 months and up, that smells amazing.

Humidifier - A cool mist humidifier in your kids room will help keep the nasal membrane moist which helps speed the healing time of a cold. It also helps lessen cough and aid in overall comfort. So far this one has been my favorite. It is easier to handle and clean than others I've tried, quite, and I love the auto shutoff timer options.

Extra Pillows - Keeping your child elevated at night helps with the post nasal drip and breathing. Good luck getting a kid to stay in one place all night. If you haven’t heard this trick already here it is: put the pillows under the mattress. This elevates one end of the bed and makes it so your child can’t shove the pillow off the bed while they sleep. Unfortunately I haven’t figured out what to do about kids who rotate all different directions through the night.

Saline Spray/Drops - This is another great way to moisten the nasal passages and help break up mucus. Less mucus equals less post nasal drip and less cough. The trick here is getting your kids to do it. If we lay the baby down and are fast we can get a few drops in before she starts screaming. Our toddler does the spray where you can stay vertical to use it, but he still has to be bribed. The nice thing is we can use Pedialyte Popsicles as the bribe and it’s really a parenting win!

Nose

Tissues - Our son is old enough to blow his nose with help, so we keep tissues on hand. An empty tissue box makes an awesome trash can for dirty tissues. Our baby on the other hand will snatch and shred a tissue if you’re not fast enough.

Wipes - I use wipes when our kids' noses start to get crusty or irritated. I find them to be too wet to use for every nose blow or wipe. We just get store brand wet wipes from the baby isle. Boogie Wipes exist but I feel like these are just wet wipes marketed towards runny noses.

Burp Cloth - Though no one is spitting up in our house anymore, these cloths are still so handy! Our daughter shreds tissues, but will put up with having her nose wiped by a burp cloth. Just like a handkerchief these can be used for the really wet runny noses and then washed. Great for the environment too!

Petroleum Jelly - If the skin around the nose starts to get irritated from all the blowing, petroleum jelly is a great option. We put just a little all over that area after blowing the nose to give it some relief and protection. Again we just get store brand.

Nose Aspirator - Since our youngest still doesn't understand how to blow her nose we have the original Nose Frida, where you suck the burgers out. While it does work, it's gross! So I'd recommend going with an electric one like this. Our little one does not like having this done, but it REALLY helps, so it's worth making her scream for a minute.

Hydration

Juice - Pushing fluids is always a go to for a cold or flu, and there are a lot of juices out there that are “immune boosters”. I water it down about half and half so that the sugar content isn’t so high. My son isn’t a huge juice fan though which brings us to the next item.

Pedialyte Popsicles - Popsicles are way more exciting than juice! If you have a kid like mine who just wants milk all of the time, these are a good option for pushing fluids when sick. They are formulated for kids, have less sugar than regular popsicles, and have electrolytes to aid in hydration. You can even have the kids eat them while they are in the bath!

Fever

Medications - For fevers and aches I keep both acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) on hand. Kids react differently to these so I like to have both. I find Tylenol works fine for just a fever, while Advil works better on aches and pains. Be sure to always follow exact dosage for your child's age and weight. Again I usually buy the store brand (kids are already expensive enough). My kids do well with a syringe, but you can try a dose cup that some come with, or even pacifiers made for administering medication.

Bath - A warm, not hot, bath can help bring down a mild fever as the water cools. The humidity in the bathroom also helps moisten their nasal passages and throat. You can run the shower hot for a few minutes before running the bath to increase the moisture in the air. Plus most kids love bath time so it’s a great way to keep them calm and distracted from their symptoms.

• If they have a cough, put Vicks (or Vicks baby rub) on their chest while they're in the tub.

Thermometer - I know this one is obvious, and I had a thermometer, but not a good one. When my kids started getting sick I realized I needed a fast and accurate thermometer. They were not going to wait around for an under arm reading, and if my forehead reading was off and preschool scanned my son as having a temp he’d have to come home. Better to have an accurate reading at home and save us the trip to school. This one is quiet and pretty accurate, I think it reads the ear temps a little high, but I like it.

Nausea

Pee Pad and Sheet - this washable pad is a life saver! I always keep one under the kids fitted sheet for bed wetting accidents, but when they are sick I actually place one over their pillows and made bed. I also have queen sheet sets that we no longer use to sleep on that I keep for when the kids aren't feeling well. I'll use either sheet to lay over the pee pad and pillows whenever my toddler isn't feeling well. If he is going to be sick to his stomach it usually happens at night. This way if he misses the trashcan I can just remove the sheet and pad. Usually this saves the pillow, and I don't have to change the sheets because the bed is already made underneath these extra layers.

Small container - With tummy bugs we keep a small plastic trashcan right next to the bed in the hopes the kids will make it into the can when their tummies revolt. This gives them a better chance of making it than trying to get all the way to the toilet. This is good to have near by if we're resting on the couch too. A large cup, bowl, or small trash can work great.

Emergen-C - This one is for the parents! As soon as your kids have some illness symptoms start taking this stuff daily! We buy store brands and they work just fine. Just make sure you are taking it, it really does help stave off getting whatever those little germ bugs have. This is another one we usually buy store brand.

Prescription Medicine - If you're doctor prescribes meds for your little one make a chart right on the bottle. It leaves one less thing to worry about forgetting. You'll know whether or not they got their last dose and so will your partner!

Good luck parents! Solidarity. These items have really helped us and I hope this article helps make illness with littles a little easier for you.