Barely Surviving? The Best Hacks For Momming While Sick

As sickness sweeps through your home, it can be hard to manage a house and toddlers while also managing your health. Prioritizing rest is difficult when you’ve got toddlers running around, or worse, a sick toddler! Here are some of my best mom hacks for managing your household and toddlers while you’re sick.

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Stocking Up: Essential Supplies To Keep On Hand For Sick Days

Sick days can strike at any moment, and the last thing anyone wants to be doing while sick is running into the grocery store! Here are a list of my must-have sick day essentials. (These are all available on amazon! Yay for 1-2 day shipping!)

For mom:

• Vicks Vapo shower steamers
• Emergen-C Vitamin C drink mix
• Clorox Disinfecting Mist
• Boiron oscillcoccinum relief from flu-like symptoms
• Nausea Relief nasal inhaler
• LMNT electrolytes
• Dayquil & Nyquil (NOT recommended if you are breastfeeding!!!)
• Disposable vomit bags
• A nice cozy blanket!

For kids:

• Frida baby nosefrida saline mist nasal inhaler
• Kids throat soothing lolipops 
• Oilogic baby vapo bath
• Fridababy cool pads
• Boiron ColdCalm baby drops 
• Frida Baby breathe easy kit
• EZY DOSE kids baby oral syringe
• FridaBaby 3-in-1 thermometer
• Nasal aspirator
• Pedialyte popcicles

Low prep activities to keep toddlers entertained

Toddlers are always needing some form of entertainment, sometimes even when they are sick! Here are some of my favorite toddler boredom busters that are easy to set up and sure to keep your toddler busy! 

• A cardboard box &  some art supplies! The bigger the box, the better! If you happened to order some of my sick day essentials, save that amazon box! Boxes are GOLD when you are sick, kids love them! 
• Freeze ice cubes with some mini animals inside of them. Set up a tray with warm water, salt, and your ice cubes. Let your toddler chip away and melt the ice to free the animals! 
• Tape markers or crayons to some toy cars and lay down a big sheet/roll of paper. Let your toddler drive the cars around to draw a picture! 
• Pour some baking soda into a muffin tin, put vinegar in medicine droppers and have your toddler drop the vinegar into the baking soda! You can even add a drop of food coloring to make it more exciting! 

These are just a few ideas, but its always a good idea to have some spare art supplies on hand! On a day like this, you can really just throw them a handful of art supplies and let them use their imagination to come up with something! It doesn’t need to be complicated or intricate!

Screen Time Without Guilt

A lot of moms will boast about how they don’t utilize screen time at all, or how they strongly restrict it. That is wonderful for them; but don’t let the guilt creep in if you’ve got to turn on the tv for a little while so that you can get some rest! 

Here are some of my favorite low stimulation TV shows for kids:

• Trash Truck (netflix)
• Franklin (Youtube)
• Dragon Tales (youtube)
• Curious George (Youtube)
• Puffin Rock (netflix)
• Sea of love (Netflix)
• Little bear (youtube)

Keeping Your Toddler Fed Without The Extra Work

Being the one responsible for meals can feel so defeating when you’re sick, but here are some easy solutions to keeping bellies full while allowing your body to rest! 

Crockpot meals

Dump & go crockpot meals are the best solution to feeding the family without spending extra money on takeout! My favorite recipe is crock pot chicken noodle soup! 

You will need:

-1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast

-5 large carrots, chopped

-4 celery sticks, chopped

-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

-1 large onion, chopped

-1 Tsp thyme

-1 bay leaf

-1 Tsp salt

-¼ tsp black pepper

-8 cups chicken stock

-7 ounces of egg noodles

-1 Tbsp parsley

-1 Tbsp celery salt

1. Add your chicken breast to the bottom of your crock pot, followed by all vegetables, spices and chicken broth. 
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours
3. Remove chicken breast & shred, remove bay leaves as well. 
4. Add shredded chicken back to the crock pot & add in your egg noodles
5. Cook on high for 10 more minutes, or until the egg noodles are fully cooked. 
6. Enjoy!

Low-prep snacks for toddlers

Toddlers can be picky, so hopefully there will be something on this list that your little one will take to! Make sure you have fresh fruits on hand, since most toddlers will happily eat fruit! 

• Fruit puree pouches
• Granola bars
• Cereal
• Yogurt
• Fresh fruit
• Apples & peanut butter
• Cheese & crackers
• Nuts & cheese
• Peanut butter & jelly sandwich

Create a safe play space for your toddler

A play room really comes in handy on sick days, because if its baby proofed properly, you can lay down and relax knowing everything in that room is safe for your child to play with. 

Make sure all outlets are covered, all craft supplies are up out of reach, any dangerous cabinets are locked, and there are no toys that pose a choking risk. It may be best to grab a sippy cup with some juice and a snack on your way into the room, so you don’t need to get up and grab them after only a few minutes of laying down. 

If your play room doesn’t have a couch or comfortable area to lay down, don’t be afraid to make yourself a little pallet on the floor and get cozy. Your toddler may come climb on you, but it’s still better than chasing them around outside or all around the house while sick!

Utilize Delivery services!

We live in a day and age of so much convenience, why not use them? Walmart grocery delivery can be a lifesaver while you’re sick and at home, especially if you’re lacking something important for that crockpot chicken noodle recipe! 

Did you know instacart will sometimes deliver pharmacy prescriptions to your door? Check your area and see if this is an option for you! 

You can also utilize instacart or door dash for pharmacy over the counter remedies like cough drops, tissues, or vapor rub! 

What to do if you’re too sick to take care of your toddler on your own

Sometimes these illnesses can really take a mama out! That’s okay! Everyone always says it takes a village to raise children, and really if you have one, definitely use it! Whether that be a trusted best friend, family member, or partner, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you truly need it. Most people will be very understanding that you need some extra help with a toddler while you’re sick, so don’t be shy! It’s okay to need some extra help from time to time! 

Final thoughts

Sick days are rough for moms! Toddlers can be really challenging to manage on a sick day, but keep these tips, tricks, and advice in mind and take a few moments to rest your body when you can! Don’t forget to break out that crock pot and make your family some delicious and low effort chicken noodle soup too! Most importantly, don’t let the mom guilt get to you, it’s ok to simply survive your sick days!