We all know the laundry list of necessities we need in our house to combat cold and flu season, as well as manage it when it inevitably hits us. We can stock up on all the hand sanitizer, chicken noodle soup, tissues, and cold medicine we want, but what about those nice-to-have but also really save-us items?
COVID recently hit our little one and it had me thinking about all the items we have that nobody tells you to get but I’m really grateful for.
Our hands-down, #1 most used and most loved item the past few years is our cooling throw blanket. I actually didn’t buy this as a result of sickness, but instead because my daughter is a hot box and loves when her blankets are cold and the whole cool side of the pillow feeling and all that. So I did some research and surprised her with a blanket for Christmas that stays cold. Little did I know that it would be our saving grace for sick days, fevers, and croup. Of course, we want to be warm and bundled up when we’re feverish and sickly, but as moms we know that makes it worse. With our cooling blanket, we get the best of both worlds. Maybe I’ll start giving this as a gift at baby showers — that’s how much we love it.
Another item that we really love that I don’t hear much about is Pedialyte popsicles. Sure, we know there is regular Pedialyte, Gatorade, apple juice, and orange juice that are must-haves when sick, but how often does a kid turn down a popsicle? It’s a great, quick way to get fluid in them, cheer them up when they’re not at their best, and give parents some peace of mind.
We all register for thermometers when we’re having a baby. We do meticulous research, price shop, and compare all kinds of options. We even get a bunch of those regular old thermometers in all the new baby kits. But what really works? When they’re super little, under the arm and rectal is said to be the most reliable, but not the easiest to use. Then again, neither was our forehead thermometer which constantly gave me varying and inaccurate readings. I invested in this Braun thermoscan thermometer at the recommendation of some of my healthcare friends years ago and I have been super happy with it ever since. It’s easy, quick, and reliable. Much easier than chasing a wiggly kiddo’s forehead at least!
Another super great hydration tool that we found recently is Liquid IV. Liquid IV advertises its product as the express lane for hydration and traditional water as the slow lane. We decided to give this a go after hearing a few friends who have COVID recommend it and it’s given me peace of mind knowing she’s at least getting plenty of fluid if nothing else. It also provides four B vitamins and vitamin C. I will note that it’s pretty high in sugar, but I feel most beverages we push during sickness are, and it’s worth the trade-off.
With the few items at our disposable, plus some cold medicine, vitamins, and boredom-busting activities, I never feel too incapable of taking on sick days with my little one. What are some non-traditional cold and flu (or let’s be honest, COVID) season items that you keep in your home?
, you'll be happy to have these non-traditional must-haves on hand to help your family feel better!){kind=link}