5 Genius Mom Hacks for Sick Kids
Sponsored with love by Lolleez
Ohhh the dreaded cold and flu season. None of us likes being sick but once you become a parent, I feel like sicknesses are 34x worse than they were without kids. Am I right or am I right?
Have you tried parenting while sick yourself? It’s not fun.
Have you tried parenting sick kids? Not fun either.
And have you ever experienced the terrible circle of sickness when kid #1 gets sick from school and passes it on to kid #2, just as kid #1 is on the mend? And then kid #2 is finally feeling better and parent #1 gets sick and then it’s off to parent #2. The lingering cough lasts months, the stuffy noses never seem to end and the endless sickness cycle continues...
You’re grumpy, the kids are grumpy and it’s just no fun for anyone. Trying to get the kids to take medicine is a battle in itself and then there’s the late nights and early mornings... oh and of course going stir crazy not leaving the house for what seems like years while attempting to entertain all the kids, sick or not.
I think we can ALL AGREE that having someone sick in your home, especially when it’s the kids, is terrible. So I’ve got 5 hacks for sick kids that’ll make your lives just a little bit easier:
1. Lolleez and Tumeez
I’ve talked about these magical lollipops and I’ll say it again — These are going to change your life!
Sore throat? Give your kid a Lolleez lollipop.
Tummy ache? Give your kid a Tumeez lollipop.
Lolleez are USDA Certified Organic throat soothing lollipops that are a cold and flu season essential! They’re non-GMO, gluten, dairy and nut free and are made of ingredients you actually have heard of like organic honey and natural fruit pectin. They’re made in a worry-free flat shape (versus the round ball pops) and come in kid and adult-friendly flavors like watermelon, strawberry, orange mango and mixed berry with elderberry.
You can find Lolleez at CVS, Target, Walgreens, Kroger and my favorite, Amazon. Click here to snag some for your family so you’re all prepped and ready to go when those cold and flu bugs hit your home!
Tumeez are USDA Certified Organic tummy soothing lollipops with 200mg of calcium carbonate and a small dose of organic honey, both known to help alleviate common stomach ailments. The pops are also Non-GMO as well as gluten, dairy and nut free. Tumeez come in a variety pack of two delicious flavors -- Grape and Apple -- and are available at CVS, Walgreens and on Amazon.
2. Fluids, fluids, fluids… in a new cup.
You’re probably thinking, “Duh, Jenn! We all know fluids are a must so how is this a hack.” Well, the fluids are a very well known hack (still hack, though) but the best hack to actually get your kids to drink more fluids is simple:
Buy them a new cup.
Seriously. When Ava gets a new cup, all she wants to do is drink milk and water and juice and she drinks and drinks and drinks and hydrates herself all day long. I don’t know about you but I get pretty sick of trying to basically force feed Ava liquids when she’s sick (as she continues to refuse them the more I continue to push for them) but I tried the new cup hack and let me tell you, it works like a charm! Get them a cup that’s their favorite color or favorite character or just something fun that they’ll totally think is a new toy they just want to play with it. And in this case, the only way to play with it is to drink liquids so it’s a win-win for everyone!
3. Forget about rules and routine.
I know we all want to stick to our schedules — Our schedules are our safe zone but when the kiddos are sick, I’m a fan of throwing the rules out the window. Let them sleep when they want to sleep (even if that means a late nap at 5pm will keep them up far past their bed time), let them have screen time (so you can relax and they can relax) and just give yourself and give them some grace. We don’t need any extra stress in our lives, especially during those sick times, so as Elsa would say, “Let it go.”
4. Pedialyte Popsicles
What kid doesn’t like popsicles? And what kid doesn’t think they have the coolest parents ever when they’re offered a popsicle at 8:34am? Yep, they get hydrated and you win cool parent points.
I mix ours with a little bit of juice, a little bit of pedialyte and if I’m feeling really Pinterest-y, I even throw in a couple slices of fruit in there too! Pour them into those homemade popsicle things (you can find them on Amazon, Target and probably even your local grocery store), into the freezer and they’re ready in a couple of hours!
5. Lolleez
No, I’m not losing my mind. Lolleez are #1 and #5 but this time, with a twist. If your kids need some medicine while sick, we all know how much of a pain in the butt that can be. So here’s what you do — give them a Lolleez and a little cup of medicine and tell them that the medicine is “lollipop dipping sauce.” Boom — giving medicine has never been easier!