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Sick day supplies for kids I keep stocked
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items School started this week and I give it about ten days before someone comes home with a cough. This is what I restock every August so I am not driving to the store at 11pm with a feverish kid in the back seat. Nothing fancy, most of it cheap, and I wr...
Taking a temperature on a kid who is already crying is a fight I stopped picking. This reads from an inch away and does not wake my son when I check him at 2am. It costs more than a stick thermometer, and it reads low if their forehead is sweaty, so ...
iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer PT3
Night coughing is the thing that actually wrecks our sleep, and running this in my daughter's room cuts it down enough that we both stay in our own beds. Filter free means one less thing to buy every few months. You have to rinse the tank every coupl...
Safety 1st Everyday Compact Cool Mist Humidifier, Air Humidifier, Blue
This is what I reach for at bedtime when the cough is the only thing keeping her awake. My kids do not fight the taste, which matters more than I expected at 10pm. Check the label for the age range and ask your pediatrician first, especially if your ...
Zarbee's Kid's All-in-One Night Cough + Mucus, Throat, Nasal, 4 fl. oz
I rub this on my son's chest and the bottoms of his feet with socks over them, the way my mom did it, and I have never once questioned whether that part is real. The smell alone signals bedtime here. It is not for kids under two, and it leaves greasy...
Vicks VapoRub Topical Chest Rub and Analgesic Ointment, Cough Medicine for Cough Relief, 1.76 oz
A raw red nose is its own separate misery by day three, and the lotion ones are the difference between that and a normal looking face at school. I buy the four box pack in August and put one in every room. They cost noticeably more than plain tissues...
Puffs Plus Lotion Facial Tissues, 4 Family Boxes, 124 tissues per box
Getting fluids into a kid who feels awful is a lot easier when it is technically a popsicle. These are what the nurse at our pediatrician's office told me to keep in the freezer year round. They are sticky to tear open and my kids always want a secon...
Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution Freezer Pops, Variety Pack, Pack of 16
Once one kid goes down I hit the doorknobs, light switches and the bathroom faucet every night, and it has kept a few colds from making a full lap of this house. Cheap enough that I keep two cans. The scent is heavy, so I spray and then crack a windo...
Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Sanitizing and Antibacterial Spray, Deodorizer, Crisp Linen, 19 oz
The only reason my kids wash their hands properly is that foam feels like a game and the pump is easy for small hands. Buying the big refill jug costs a fraction of replacing bottles all winter. It runs out faster than gel soap because they actually ...
Dial Antibacterial Defense Spring Water Foaming Hand Soap Refill, 30 fl oz
I keep these in the car, in the bathroom and next to the bed from October through March. Having one within arm's reach has saved my carpet more than once. They are stiff plastic and rustle loudly, so a kid who is already miserable usually needs help ...
CLOUDBERG 24 Pack Blue 1000ml Emesis Bags
We learned this lesson at 3am on a Tuesday and I bought two the next morning. It goes under the fitted sheet and I stopped thinking about the mattress entirely. It does crinkle a little for the first few weeks until it softens, and my daughter notice...
SafeRest Waterproof Twin Mattress Protector
Two minutes in the microwave and my son will actually lie still with this on his stomach instead of following me around the house. It smells faintly of herbs, which he likes and my husband does not. It cools off in about twenty minutes, so it is comf...
SacksyThyme Microwave Heating Pad 12x7
When nobody can breathe through their nose, I drop one of these in the shower and let the bathroom steam up for a few minutes before bed. It buys us maybe an hour of easier breathing, which is enough to fall asleep. The scent is strong, so I break on...
Cleverfy Eucalyptus Shower Steamers, 18 Tablets
I buy the store brand because it is the same active ingredient for about half the price and my pharmacist told me to stop overthinking it. The dosing cup markings are easy to read, which matters when you are half asleep. Follow the label for your kid...
Equate Children's Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer Ibuprofen Oral Suspension, Berry Flavor, 100 mg, 8 fl oz HSA/FSA Eligible
Four days of mouth breathing leaves my daughter's lips cracked and split at the corners, and this is the thing that stops it. The mini size means one lives on her nightstand and one in her backpack. The flavors are a gimmick, but they are the reason ...
Vaseline Lip Therapy Mini Lip Balm - Travel Size - 0.25oz EACH Vanilla Swirl + Pistachio Donut + Rosy + Pink Grapefruit + Arctic Mint
This is not a cure for anything, it is just the one thing my son will eat when he turns down everything else. I keep four cans in the pantry from September on so dinner is not a decision on a bad night. It is saltier than homemade and the noodles go ...
Progresso Rich & Hearty Chicken & Homestyle Noodle Soup - 19oz: Low Fat, No Artificial Colors, No Artificial Flavors