This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Pediacare and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own.
“Mom! I don’t feel good” is the phrase no mother likes to hear. During cold season, we can hear this more than we’d like. It’s inevitable if your children go to school, play with other kids, play at public playgrounds … um, pretty much inevitable if they are kids. One kid coming down with a cold is something we can handle. The challenging part is when it starts to pass around the house.
With two boys who are together all day long, if one gets a cold, it’s not easy to keep them away from each other so the other doesn’t get it. So, I do my best to keep them busy separately and to make sure my survival supply is stocked.
We have plenty of learning, fun and busy activities to keep busy at home. So, when one child is ill but the other is healthy, the healthy one stays on task with daily learning. The one who needs rest and medicine to get better, gets to take it a bit easier.
Reading in Bed
Instead of challenging reading, I prefer to give my boys board books when they don’t feel well. The books keep their interest but the boys don’t feel like it’s a lot of work. Another favorite activity is for me to read to them. I look for chapter books so they will have something to look forward to if they are having to stay in bed for more than one day.
Watching Movies
To make my little one feel extra special when he’s not feeling his best, I set him up with his own screen and headphones to watch the movie of his choice. Queridos, you know we love our movies on QueMeanWhat.com! As a family, we have to compromise on which movie to see together but when someone isn’t feeling well, they get to choose.
Puzzles
Kids love puzzles! This alone could keep them busy all day but the trick is to have a variety of puzzles on hand. We like our favorite movie characters or 3D puzzles. We still have wooden puzzles that are fun, too. What they enjoy most is getting special time with mom or dad when they aren’t feeling their best.
Survival Kit and Keeping the House Healthy
Double check that your thermometer is working. If you’re not sure, buy a new one.
Stock up on tissues and hand sanitizer. One of the most effective ways to keep cold viruses from spreading is frequent hand washing with soap and water or cleansing with a product that contains at least 62% isopropyl alcohol.
Make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date, including his or her flu vaccine. Immunizations are key in reducing rates of ear infections, pneumonia and sinusitis.
Incorporate vitamin D into your daily supplement routine. Vitamin D supplements are said to reduce children’s risk of getting a cold by half. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should take at least 400 IU of vitamin D a day, an amount found in most children’s multivitamins.
Make sure you and your child get plenty of sleep. Tired kids are much more susceptible to viral infections. Notice the kid in bed in the photos above? I make sure they are comfy so they can sleep well.
Even with all your precautions, sometimes a runny nose, a little cough or a light fever is unavoidable. Keep in mind, it’s normal to have 3 days of fever in the beginning of a cold. However, if the fever lasts any longer than 4 days or returns later, it could signal a bacterial infection.
When your little one starts showing signs of illness and you are ready to medicate, choose a specialized medicine for kids like PediaCare® products. They can be found at a Dollar General near you.
Click here to download the PediaCare® dosage chart, which helps you match your child’s symptoms with one of the PediaCare® products. When using the chart, it’s best to weigh your child first to determine proper dosing of PediaCare® products. If weight is not known, use age. Don’t forget your $1 off coupon at http://bit.ly/
