School is back in session and the sick season is here. Within the next few weeks, your child is bound to come home, sneak into the kitchen while you’re making dinner, and say, “My throat hurts.”
Then you cry into a giant pot of pasta and come up with a game plan.
Sometimes, when tragedy strikes our family, we are unprepared. We are out of medicine. No tissues found. A TikTok doctor has a great tip to help parents feel less surprised and panicked when their first child falls over – make a sick/flu box!
“The kids are back in school. It’s almost cold and flu season and I guarantee your kids are going to get sick at the most inconvenient times, so let’s get your flu kit ready,” TikTok mom and doctor Meghan Martin (also @Beachgem10) said before starting her speech.
“Don’t spend all your money on a forehead or ear thermometer. They’re expensive and inaccurate. Get yourself a simple digital thermometer like this,” she said, holding up a “sublingual, “Ararm” thermometer, as we call it around these areas.
Next, she wants parents to prepare for allergies and rashes.
“We’re moving away from Benadryl. So, I use Zyrtec for allergic reactions or hives,” she explains.
“Portable pulse oximeter, suitable for medium and normal sized hands, not so good for small hands, but can give you an idea of your heart rate and its oxygenation status… If you have a dark skin tone, it won’t work when it reaches a higher The lower numbers are just as good. If you’re worried, just ignore this and just take the kids in.
Next, you need to rehydrate. “I really like these Pedialyte packets. They’re powder. They fit better in a box than a big jug of liquid. Kids need sugar and electrolytes when they’re sick and not eating regular food, so this is a balancing act ,” she said.
For severe coughs and sore throats, Martin recommends Halls Kids Cough Drops.
“I don’t recommend decongestants for children. Instead, the saline is right where it is. So for older kids, you can use it in the nose, or you can buy saline saline packs or saline over the counter , and do something like a squeeze bottle to help with rinsing. no Use tap water. This can be very dangerous,” she noted.
“There’s something like this for younger kids too – Mr. Let Them Breathe – that helps get the snot out… Now it’s time to get ready. Good luck.
Martin elaborated in the caption: “Your kids are going to get sick at the most inconvenient times, and you’ll both feel better if you have what you need to care for them! #sick #kids #getready #Virus #parenting Disclaimer: This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or replace the advice of your doctor.
After her post went viral, several parents thanked Martin for her service, while also adding a few items she may have forgotten.
“Your content = something the internet is missing. Helpful, positive, educational, kind, honest, safe, and a little bit funny. From one St. Peter mom to another, you rock! A mom wrote.
“I don’t have kids and am making myself an adult box 🤣,” joked another.
One user suggested, “I put glow sticks in the bottom of a small trash can and put them in a plastic bag. Helps act as a beacon haha.”
Another shared, “I have two large bins with stickers ‘Are you sick?'” and “Are you hurt?” 😂 It helps my kids find exactly what they need. Ibuprofen? Sick of the trash can. OK? Hurt Bin.
Brb, and I literally added everything she listed to my Amazon shopping cart!
