The post below is sponsored by BeKoool soft gel sheets. All opinions expressed belong to me.
If there’s anything I will never forget, it will be the plague of December 2016. The month started out with food posioning for me, and ended in a coughing mess after battling a sinus infection and double ear infection. Honestly, I was sick 90% of the month and it was pure misery while caring for my kids.
Just when I was starting to turn a corner, all three kids got it too. It’s no wonder since each of them love cuddling and kissing me and each other. No amount of Lysol could keep this plague away!
The virus looked like this: cold –> pink eye {appearance for about 2-3 days} –> on/off fever –> weeks of coughing and/or runny nose. Ugh.
Something I learned with this round is that a virus can look like pink eye. My daughter’s school even called because they thought she had it, but the doctor assured me it was just a cold in her eye. {I’d recommend getting a doctor’s note for this case — I didn’t and regretted it!} Each of my kids proceeded to get it, much to the horror of every person that saw them in public.
Us moms often joke that getting sick with kids is the worst — and it truly is. For this reason, I’m sharing 7 tips for surviving cold and flu season as a mom:
Easy Meals
During peak sick season, make sure you have some meals frozen and ready to rock for your family. When I was sick, ZERO cooking got done. I wish we would’ve been prepared with a frozen dinner of some kind. Even frozen pizza! Something because it was costly getting take-out a few nights in a row.
Fever Prep
Before fever strikes, it’s SO important to be prepared. We keep a bucket of meds for the kids, including some essential oils and Tylenol and Motrin to switch on and off. A product that is new to me, but I am excited to have in our arsenal is BeKOOOL.
BeKOOOL‘s non-medicated soft gel sheets provide up to 8 hours of cooling relief for sick kids. Unlike washcloths, BeKOOOL’s stay in place allowing kids to rest comfortably and move around freely and go on pain-free {way easier than a band-aid!}. Sure beats a washcloth on the forehead and they work wonderfully.
Fun Fluids
I say “fun” because drinking Pedialyte, Gatorade and/or ginger ale {Vernor’s for us Michiganders} are considered fun for my kids. As an adult, nothing beats a whiskey, honey and hot water concoction when your throat hurts. I try to have a few options for relief in our fridge at all times just in case.
Netflix and Chill…Literally.
I am not a TV watcher — we actually don’t even have cable. But since the couch was my home for a few days, it was crucial to have something to watch while laying there. I felt so sick I couldn’t even hold up a book or my phone, so movies it was. I had a bit of mom guilt, but the kids loved it!
Think Before Heading To The Doctor
I love this chart from the CDC and have it saved for those times I’m questioning whether or not we should go to the doctor. Antibiotic resistance is a growing issue and the main cause of this problem is misuse of antibiotics. Think before heading to the doctor because it’s likely your body just needs time to fight a virus.
{Learn more here}
Puke Bucket Prep
Since our home is two stories, we have puke buckets on each floor. This guarantees easy access during middle-of-the night fumbling around post “I feel sick, mommy” sentiments. My girls know they can grab it from the linen closet if it’s needed.
Load Up On Love
Don’t we all just want to feel like we’re being taken care of when we don’t feel well? When I was sick, my kids brought me crackers and juice {after spilling it all over of course!}. It honestly made me feel better seeing their caring hearts in action. When my kiddos are sick, I admit to babying them. As far as I’m concerned, that’s my job as mom!
There is nothing worse than sickness. Be prepared and know it won’t last forever!
What tips would you add to prep for cold and flu season?
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Hi, Lauren! Coming here from the MI bloggers page. 🙂 Personally, as a kid, I loved drinking orange juice with sprite (and vernors!). When I’m sick, I Netflix and chill as well! I also drink lots and lots of water.
Thanks for all this information. I’ve already forwarded on this post to my sisters with kids! I don’t really have any tips other than I personally try to remind my nieces and nephew to wash their hands regularly and keep their hands out of their faces! No rubbing eyes, picking noses, etc. That helps keep the sick germs at bay.