Sick Season Helpful Hints

OH Fall. What a beautiful season. The leaves change, the air smell good, and the sicknesses comes and invade our homes. Oh wait, that last ones not so great. But odds are if you have kids you will be dealing with vomit. Some are lucky and have the "One and Done". Others have the "I'm going to vomit all through the night". And others have the "You have plans but I'm going to vomit on you". Needless to say there is no good time for vomit. I think anytime we get in the car or go to the store and do not have a vomit incident we should count our blessings. As a mother of 5 I have dealt with my fair share of vomit and I would like to pass my wisdom onto you. Some of these things you may already know but hopefully I can suggest one thing that will make your vomit days a little easier. Pre vomit prep work Now is the time to get ready for the vomit season. First things first. Waterproof Mattress Protectors: Mattress protectors are great but having a waterproof one is even better. Yes they can be expensive but they are well worth the investment. The protector goes with the next step. Mattress protectors are also great to put on the couch where your sick kid will be camped out for the next few days. Bedding Sandwich: When your little one vomits you will have to change the bedding and having the bedding sandwich will help with the middle of the night bed change. Start with a protector over the mattress then a fitted sheet. Then put another protector and then another sheet. If you don't want to invest in that many protectors (because you have 5 kids like I do) then you could use pee pads or towels in the sandwich. Remember to do this BEFORE there are any signs on the vomit. Once the sickness has started then feel free to add more layers. Same can be said for the pillows. Layer with towels and protectors. Emergency Detergent: Worst case scenario you have a sick kid, go to the washer to start the load of vomit filled sheets and you are almost out of detergent. This is no good because you know you are going to have to do more and how are you going to get to the store with a sick kid? So do yourself a favor and the next time you are at the store pick up a bottle of detergent and stash it in your closet. Puke buckets: How many of us have caught vomit in our hands or used their blanket as a vomit catching device? Having strategically placed buckets will help with this. Put one under each of your kids beds. I tell my kids that they are there not because I think they are going to grab it when they get sick but because I don't want them to find them and think it's a fun toy, play with it and then it's not around when I need it. I also want the kids to understand that these are germ bowls that they are not to touch so they don't get sick. It is also important to have one of these in your car. Maybe one day I'll share the story of how I caught vomit in the car. The dollar store has great big plastic bowls that work great to catch vomit so stock up. Towels: Stash some towels under the bed with the bowl. Open windows: With the temperatures dropping the windows are being shut and the heat is being kicked on. That 70 something degree room is the perfect place for all those germs to thrive. So once a week open up those windows for about 15 minutes and air it out. Good things to have on hand: Disinfectant spray and wipes, an extra comfort item, crackers, Pedialyte, carpet cleaner (because sometimes it doesn't make it into the bowl, hand sanitizer (for those emergencies when another kids touches a sick kids puke bowl or sippy cup) Dress you and the kids appropriately: Ones kids are sick try to put clothes that are easy to get on and off and if possible don't need to go over their heads (or can slip off easily like older siblings t-shirt) Keep this in mind when you are getting dressed. Ask for help: We have all been there and things can get a little overwhelming. It doesn't matter if you have one sick kids or 5 there are some things you will need help with so be humble and ask for it. Tell your husband what you need from him. He can't read your mind and you may look like you have it all together so he may need a little guidance in the helping out department. Or you can let your friends know whats going on maybe someone could drop off a meal or run to the store so get some ginger ale or food for the B.R.A.T diet once you kids want to start eating again. As a mom we are constantly giving 100% of ourselves and when we have sick kids it jumps to 200%. If there is something someone else can do to help elevate the stress please ask for it. As of now that is all I can think of. I'm sure you all can think of something that you do that helps you get through this sick time so please share what has worked for you. Praying all of your families stay healthy and puke free this winter season.