Ultimate Sick-Day Survival Kit

I’ll admit it: Even with a dozen years, three children, and countless sick days under my parenting belt, I still become a little unhinged when my kids are sick. At the first sign of glazed-over eyes, raspy cough, or the dreaded, telltale, 2 a.m. gag, my heart starts pounding, because I know my child and I are in for a few days of sleepless nights, home-from-school days, and round-the-clock cleaning. And that’s if it’s an illness is limited to one family member, which we all know is about as likely as a four-leaf clover in January.

I was a little cocky a few weeks ago, when it occurred to me that we’d gone three whole months without anything more than a sniffle. Of course, within, oh, minutes of that thought passing through my brain, my youngest refused his afternoon snack, just wanted to cuddle, and preceded to barf buckets on himself, his carseat and half of the minivan on the way to pick up my older sons at school. One week later, his older brother’s norovirus also presented itself in the car, this time on the way to a ski trip. After fishing around for plastic bags and coming up empty, the portable potty seat became a sick basin. Double ick. Granted, we were traveling, but it made me resolve to be better equipped for sudden sicknesses—which they all are, really—at home and on the go. For me, at least, having all the proper tools for keeping kids comfortable and the house disinfected at the ready goes a long way toward mitigating my anxiety over dealing with a tough bug.

After talking to some docs and veteran moms and thinking about what’s saved the day for us time and again in the past, I’ve come up with a list of must-have products for sick-day “success” (as it were). While good hand hygiene and a flu shot (find a nearby vaccination center here) may help keep illness at bay, these soothing products are worth stashing away in a closet or bathroom drawer for when sickness does strike. Note on chart, below: If viewing on a mobile devices, links in chart below might not direct you to correct products. Use links in descriptions below chart, instead.

 

1. Kid-Friendly Tissues. Puffs and other companies now have boxes with fun designs that appeal to kids, which just might make tykes more likely to reach for a tissue rather than their sibling’s shirt sleeve. Also, take this genius cue from Mommy Shorts (via Wide Awake) and use a rubber band to harness together a full square tissue box and an empty square tissue box. Voila—tissues and trash can in one.

2. Graco Battery Operated Nasal Aspirator. One of my babysitters is a nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital, and she says that this is what she and her colleagues use all the time on stuffed-up babies and toddlers who come through the E.R. It’s quick, simple, and painless.

3. Honey. Studies show it and doc-moms swear by it: A teaspoon or two of honey can help soothe a sore throat and quiet a cough, as good if not better than cough medicine.

4. Aquaphor. Smear a gob of this salve below runny noses to prevent drying and chafing, or on sore bottoms after a stomach bug.

5. Rectangular Wash Basin. Kids aren’t so skilled at aiming their puke in the right places. Stash a medium-sized—I find 8-quart to be perfect—plastic bin in a bathroom drawer, cabinet or shelf so it’s easy to grab when your child starts feeling queasy.

6. CareBags. What a terrific product: These bags, which fold-flat for easy storage in the car, have an absorbent bottom that eliminates odors, and an easy-tie top. Great to have on hand for car sickness of any type.

7. Gatorade. Research shows Gatorade is effective as Pedialyte at rehydrating kids after a stomach illness—and my guess is that 10 out of 10 kids would say it tastes better.

8. Pedialyte Pops. You can freeze these pops, which forces kids (little ones, especially) to rehydrate slowly after an illness.

9. Braun Ear Thermometer. While stick thermometers are considered the most accurate, it can be hard to get a good reading with a squirmy child. Braun’s ear thermometers are highly rated, easy to use, and, from my experience, can work without waking a sleeping child.

10. Acetaminophen suppositories. For the helpless-feeling times when a child has a fever but feels too ill to swallow (and keep down) medicine, these rectal suppositories are a lifesaver. Make sure you get a product formulated for your child’s age and weight.

11. Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Wipes. This hospital-grade cleaner is now available for household use, and is one of the few products that can kill norovirus (the super-bad stomach illness) as well as most other germs. A little pricey, but totally worth it.

12. Large white hand towels. Get a stack of these soft towels and keep them in the laundry room for sick nights. They have multiple uses: a pillow-topper for kids with tummy bugs, a cool forehead compress for bringing down a fever, and a clean-up rag. Because they are white, you can easily bleach out germs and stains after use.

13. Disposable straw cups. Color-coded cups help you keep track of which drink is your sick child’s, and the straw makes it easier to sip while reclining on a bed or couch. Toss after your kid makes a full recovery.

14. Soft fleece blanket. Feverish kids have rapid temperature changes, and you probably don’t want them using your cashmere throw from the living room when they get the chills. Buy one of these fuzzy, inexpensive blankets in your child’s favorite color, and keep it on his shelf for sick days on the couch.

15. Nature DVD or streamed video. Sometimes, all your kid can handle is starting at a screen, but too much SpongeBob can make a headache worse. Many nature videos, with their soothing voices and sounds, set just the right mood. We like Disney’s Oceans and Earth series.

16. Maze books. For when your child starts to feel a little better and may be up for an activity, keep some maze books on hand. They re-engage the brain without taxing it, and some—like Kumon’s Around the World series—are really fun for kids and grown-ups to do together.