I don’t know about you guys but I am absolutely dreading this winter. You might be wondering why, considering the fact that I live in Los Angeles and well, we don’t really get much of a winter here. But what we do get is all the nasty viruses that are spread all over the country and world during cold and flu season. Honestly, it actually breaks my heart how many times Molly and Riley have already been sick over the past two months. And as most of you know, Molly was extremely ill for a couple weeks in November.
Also, my girlfriend called me yesterday morning to tell me that her toddler was vomiting all night. I threw a care package together with some of the things in this blog post and was in my car on my way to her place within 10 mins. I know how awful it is with sick little ones at home and I wanted to help her with all the things/tips you guys told/gave me when my kids were sick.
Molly’s Sickness
Let me take a second to talk about Molly’s sickness. It started with the stomach flu and nonstop vomiting for 24 hours. And then quickly developed into a fever that lasted a full 8 days. Her temperature ranged anywhere from 101-104.5 during that 8 days. That week was honestly some of the scariest days of my life.
Molly legit has not had a fever since she was born. I just never dealt with a sickness like that with my kids and it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever gone through. Then to finish out her sickness, she got stuck with a nasty wet cough and sore throat. So as you can imagine we went through so many different things to try to keep her as comfortable as possible during this time. And I want to share some of those things with you in my blog today because if there’s anything that I can possibly do to help any other parent out there that went through what I went through with Molly, I have to do it!
I don’t know if any of these tips are going to be particularly novel for any of you, but I just feel compelled to share. There’s absolutely nothing worse in this world than watching your child go through a bad sickness. And anything and everything we can do as parents to help them is valuable in my opinion.
And I can’t forget about Riley. While he didn’t catch Molly’s illness, he has been sick with colds plenty of times since he was born. He’s been sick more since he was born than Molly has been sick in her entire life. I think that’s just pretty common with second children. With our first child, we sanitized everything to try to keep the germs away. But with a second child, you just can’t keep up.
Have you seen those memes with a mother and her first baby where the mama picks the pacifier up off the floor and washes and sanitize it multiple times before giving it back to the baby? And then with the second baby the mom picks the pacifier up off the floor, sticks in her mouth and then sticks it back in the baby’s mouth? It makes me laugh because it’s truly such a good representation of what it’s like with a first child versus a second child. And, I actually think we did Molly a disservice by keeping everything so clean when she was little because we didn’t build up her immune system enough. Now she’s sick all the time and brings that sickness from school home to Riley, so now he’s sick all the time. At least by the time he goes to preschool he’ll have a good immune system.
OK, I think I’ve explained enough why this blog post means so much to me. So here are my top tips for keeping your baby and toddler comfortable when they’re sick. And the reason I say “when” is because unfortunately all kids get sick during the winter. It’s just inevitable. So hopefully they are as comfortable as they can be, until they are smiling like this again 🙂
RILEY’S 3 PIECE OUTFIT (IT’S UNDER $20)
Convenience is Key When You Need All Your Focus on Your Kiddo
Everything in this blog post is from Walmart. You guys know I shop there a lot and work with them a lot. The reason I like them so much is because they have affordable prices that are attainable for everyone and I love the convenience of being able to order things online and pick them up in the store. And by pick them up in the store, I mean you drive up curbside and someone brings them to your car which is just a game changer! So hopefully if you need some things for your sick kiddos, you can just quickly put them in your cart right now, drive over to Walmart and someone will bring these items right up to your car so you don’t have to get yourself or your child out of the car.
1 – Medication
This is such an obvious tip but it has to be my first one because honestly Tylenol and Motrin absolutely saved us when Molly was sick with a fever. It was a scary few days and I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have something to help bring her fever down. And while that’s an obvious recommendation, I want to give a not so obvious one as well.
When your child is sick with something like a cold, I really highly recommend Wellements. There’s also Zarbees, another really great natural over-the-counter medications for babies and for children. I just always use Wellements because I have used it since my kids were born. I also love that they come in glass bottles. They have nighttime cough and mucus support for kiddos and for babies. And daytime medicine for both kids and babies. But I also looooooove a good natural chest rub. Whenever Riley and Molly are sick, we rub it on their chests before bed. It really truly helps them breathe at night.
1. ORGANIC BLANKET | 2. MY SWEATER | 3. MY $9 JEANS
And get masks!!! I wore one almost the entire time Molly and I were sick. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep little Riley from catching what we had. And it worked! Well, that and other things like wiping everything down constantly and keeping Molly and Riley separate as mush as possible.
I also want to add here that a good probiotic is really important too. When Molly and Riley both had pooping issues when they were younger, we would give them both a probiotic. I hate to admit that we have totally slacked on that over the last six months or so. But when Molly got the stomach flu we immediately went out and bought probiotics and I wish we never went off them. Riley gets a mix that goes in his water cup. Molly is a little bit more picky when it comes to drinking a whole cup of water on the spot so we tend to give her chewables because she thinks their candy. I’m not particular to any brand yet. But I linked a few that I like below and that the kids seem to like.
2 – A Great Thermometer
You guys might think I’m insane but I ended up buying this for Molly. It’s the exact one that the pediatrician at our doctors office uses and I had to have it. Let me explain why. Maybe a year back we had a thermometer and we kept trying to take Molly‘s temperature with it and it said she had a fever. I was so concerned that we would taker her into the doctor and once we got there they would say she doesn’t have a fever. So I would take her home and go through the exact same thing the next day. Take her temperature, see she had a fever and take her back to the doctor. Only to get to the doctor and for them to tell me she didn’t have a fever. So finally after three days of doing this I brought my thermometer with me to the doctors office and realized it was reading her temperature to be way higher than it actually was. I was so upset that I made a crazy impulse buy right then and there on my phone while at the doctors office and got this almost $400 thermometer. Again, it was an emotional impulse buy.
1. SIMILAR PRINCESS CROWN | 2. THERMOMETER
I realize buying a $400 thermometer is not in most people‘s budgets. It’s not even in my budget! I was a little bit cuckoo that day. Anyway, I do highly recommend a thermometer. But I’ve also heard such amazing things from my friends who have this from thermometer and this thermometer. They both told me about them after I told them I blew my bank account for the month after buying the super expensive thermometer. Ha ha! But at the end of the day the only thing that matters is having a really good reliable thermometer so you’re not getting false readings. The reason, just to give you context that I was so upset about reading her temperature wrong all that time, is that I was giving her medication for a fever because I thought she had one when she didn’t. And I never want to give my kids meds that they don’t need. Hence a great thermometer is so so so important!
3 – A Breathable Blanket (if old enough) and jammies
Ask my husband, what’s the one thing I stress about more in regards to the kids well-being than anything else? He will without a doubt tell you it’s that I worry about whether or not they’re hot or cold at night. Seriously it’s like a weird obsession. And that obsession gets 10 times worse when one of them is sick. When they have colds, I’m so so so worried that they’re freezing in the middle of the night. And then when Molly had a fever recently I was so worried that she was scorching hot in the middle of the night. And that’s why I think pajamas that are breathable are so important when your kiddo is sick. At least it is for me. I’m no doctor but I feel like it helps them regulate their own body temperature better and I like giving them a breathable blanket so that they can cover up if they’re cold or uncover if they’re warm.
1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET | 3. MY SWEATER | 4. MY $9 JEANS
I just recently started feeling comfortable enough putting a blanket in Riley‘s crib and he’s 1 & 1/2. I think maybe around 14 months we put a breathable blanket in there for the first time. But of course, always do what you feel comfortable with and what is recommended by your pediatrician. I really love these blankets from Walmart. They are their little star organic bedding line which has the cutest prints and, if you can’t already tell by the name, it’s organic. I really like anything that goes into the crib with my child to be natural and/or organic. Whether that’s pajamas, blankets or the medication they’re taking. Unless of course it’s for a fever.
1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET
4 – Popsicles
I have to share this because I honestly do not know what I would’ve done without these popsicles when Molly was sick. I got the idea from all of you! I asked you guys for advice when she was sick and hundreds of you told me popsicles are the answer, and in particular these popsicles. In the middle of the night when Molly wouldn’t take a single sip of water because she couldn’t keep it down I brought her downstairs and gave her one of these popsicles. Not only did she miraculously not throw it back up, but she was enjoying it. Not like she normally would but it was the first time I saw a half smile on her face in a full day because she had been puking all day long.
That popsicle might as well have been a bar of gold in my mind. It meant everything to me. I was so sure that 10 minutes after having it she would be vomiting again but she wasn’t. But she would take one sip of water and throw that back up. I don’t get it, it doesn’t make sense to me, but these popsicles saved my life and I had to tell you about them. If you’re reading this right now, buy them because you can keep them in your pantry and then just throw them in the freezer as you need them.
1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. POPSICLES
Every parent should have these in their pantry in my opinion. Now we will always have them in stock. So go ahead and put them in your cart and buy them right now and thank me later. Plus they don’t sell them already frozen so you definitely want to have them handy in your fridge when you need them.
5- Mommy and Daddy
At the end of the day when your kids are sick they want you. I called into work and stayed by Molly’s side the entire time she was sick. And I get that not everybody has the luxury to do that. Some people have to go to work to pay the bills. And I can’t even tell you how much I thought about that the week Molly was sick. I thought about how many parents had to go to work when their children were as sick as Molly was. And it absolutely broke my heart! I just wanna say that because if anybody reading this is in that situation know that my heart is with you and that I admire you for sacrificing everything you do for your children. That said, if you’re able to be with them, be with them. Even if you’re only able to be with them a little extra than you normally are. Whether that’s a few extra cuddles or extra stories. I think it’s the best medicine of all.
1. RILEY’S PJ’S | 2. ORGANIC BLANKET | 3. MY SWEATER | 4. MY $9 JEANS
Talk to Your Doctor
I also want to say that the flu is a VERY SERIOUS thing and you should always consult your doctor when your child is sick. These are just the things I did that really helped me and my family.
My Cutie
Couldn’t end this post without adding this cute little 3 piece outfit from my insta stories so you guys can have the link to it. The entire outfit in under $20 and is so darling. I mean….how cuuuuuute!!!! He looks like a little banker or something. Ha. I am just so grateful he is healthy and Molly is healthy again.
Well there you have it. These tips might not be mind blowing to you. But when your child is sick and you’re desperate for answers, I hope this blog post rings a bell and is something you can quickly come to and order all of these things without even having to think about it. There’s nothing worse than seeing your child suffer, especially from a sickness, and I hope this blog post helps even one parent out there help their children feel better when they need it the most.
And while you are here and picking up things from Walmart anyway, I will link this blog post I did all about my favorite toys from Walmart in case you are looking for some good gift ideas for your kids on my site today. Walmart also has from great Cyber weekend deals on car-seats that you should totally check out. xoxo
Thanks for sponsoring this post Walmart!
Oh man it was so sad to watch your stories about all of you being so sick!! The stomach flu is terrible and I’ve never seen one last that long!
Also fevers are the WORST! My daughter Rylie gets a fever every time she is sick. Sometimes if there is a virus going around she only gets a fever and nothing else but her fevers get pretty high and it can get so scary. She actually had one the other day and she was so hot we couldn’t even touch her. It’s awful.
She was similar to Molly where she never got sick the first year not until she started daycare. But my son who is 7 months has already had 3 colds!
So glad you guys are feeling better and thanks for all of the tips! 🙂
Ugh. That is so scary that your daughter gets such high fevers!!!! I know fevers are good (because it’s the body fighting the infection) but they are SOOOOO terrifying. Hope Rylie is feeling much better now! Thanks for reading and for sharing. xoxox
Great share. Along with wearing a mask, I would also say gloves are a lifesaver when it is a norovirus situation where it is highly contagious (Handling soiled items even taking from the washer to the dryer and dishes, cups etc). Grape juice is also good for settling the stomach which is why I give a small amount to my kids every morning with their vitamins.
I would also say it isn’t good to give meds for a fever just because they have a fever. I’ve always been told to treat the behavior not the number on the thermometer. A fever is your bodies way of fighting off the illness and it needs to just run its course. The more you medicate when you might not need to the longer it can take to move past it.
Glad your family is healed and praying the rest of the season is a healthy one.
Great tip!!!! I totally wore gloves to bleach EVERYTHING in our house!!!!
I agree with your post. My kids are a little older than yours but man the flu is scary for parents. I love that you share your experiences with others. High five to you for being a sweet human. This world needs more kindness. I truly do love your posts. Have a wonderful week
Awwww thanks Kammi. You are truly a sweetheart. xoxo
So over the top dramatic, as usual.
Imagine having a child with a
Chronic illness.
Kids get sick. No big deal.
So nice you can afford a $400 thermometer
That just shows how truly out of touch with reality you are recommending this to your readers.
And your post on Instagram about ordering 20 of your favourite T-shirt’s.
Minimalism is in, haven’t you heard?
You clearly had to come to this post to read this and you clearly follow her on Instagram. So why bother if you are going to criticize what she says and the way she lives her life? It doesn’t matter what illness your child has, chronic or otherwise. Seeing your child sick is upsetting for any parent. Have some compassion.
I’m gonna have to disagree with you. Yes, it’s not fun to see your child sick, but for the majority of parents, their child will get better. There’s a huge difference between having a preventable and temporary illness versus having a life-long, incurable disease. That’s like comparing the common cold to Type I Diabetes, or a headache to epilepsy. One has nowhere near the same impact as the other.
Why do you follow her then? People like you puzzle me. Do you have nothing better to do with your time? Strange.
Obviously you are having a bad day and I’ll pray for you. By the way, unfollow Ali because the rest of us enjoy and love her! 💕
I am trying to figure out how to block her. She comes here to be nasty to me every day. I feel sorry for her
Ali, you are awesome and don’t ever let someone like that bother or affect you! It is dad that there are people out there that are so rude and have nothing better to do than attempt to bring others down. Great post! I have a 5 month old daughter and I work in the medical field, but it’s so nice to get tips and ideas on here for future ideas!
Here’s the thing: you’re a public figure. You opened yourself up to comments, thus giving people the right to say whatever they want to. Just like you’re allowed to express your opinions, so is anyone who reads your blog.
And, frankly, this particular comment is not nasty. She’s bringing to your attention the fact that not everyone (perhaps not even the majority of people) has the luxury of being able to buy a $400 thermometer or 20 t-shirts on a whim, whereas you make it seem like it is no big deal. Additionally, everyone gets sick from time to time. She is pointing out that your use of catastrophic language both in your blog posts and on your Instagram is unnecessary. The stomach flu is preventable and temporary, while so many chronic illnesses are not.
Again. Trolling. If you don’t like her catstrophic language, choose another blog to read. Ali I think you are amazing and love reading your posts!
My 13 month old son is just getting over a cold and I absolutely hate seeing him sick! Thank you for all of these tips- so helpful for next time (because unfortunately I know there will be a next time!) Do you have any advice for how to get kids to take Tylenol/Motrin? My son pretty much spits it right out! Thanks again!
I wish I had advice. My kids LOVE it. I have to hide it locked away because Molly asks for it ALL THE TIME.
Hey Lauren! One of the tricks I’ve used to give my son meds is my husband will pass it back and forth to each other pretending it tastes yummy and then telling him it’s his turn. It just recently started working! We also let him play with/carry around the empty medicine syringe and he thinks he’s pretty cool 😉 maybe you’ve tried these already but thought I’d suggest!
Lauren have you seen those little Dannon smoothies in the yogurt section at the grocery store? I have put medicine in those before and my kids drank them up. The only thing is you’d have to make sure they drank the entire thing to get the full dose of medicine.
Ali it was difficult watching your insta stories. As a parent it is tough when our babies are sick, and we can’t do much other than be there and let the virus or fever ride out. Thank you for these tips. So glad to hear Riley didn’t get sick and that molly is all better now. We were praying for you guys.
It was one of the hardest times in my life. Thank you for your kind words
My son is 20 months old and seems to bring home every germ from daycare during the months of September- April. We’ve gone through several thermometers for the same reason you mentioned. Thankfully he doesn’t get a fever with every sniffle he gets but when he does it’s definitely scary! He was sick a month ago and even with his fever clung to me 24/7. When his fever spiked we’d put him in the tub, it would drop his body temperature almost immediately. We’ve also used the cold patches they make for kids, but I didn’t find them to be very helpful, their stickability wasn’t great. And the other serious game changer is a battery operated snot sucker!!! Here’s to hoping for a healthy winter!
Hello,
I’m so glad Molly is better. My heart broke when I would see your stories. I know the feeling. I have twin 4 year olds boys and one gets sick and then the other gets it just as one is getting better. Not to mention it hits one of them 10x harder. They were born at 28 weeks and weighed 2.5lbs and 2.7lbs. Logan had more problems when born. But another thing I would like to add is that we try and give them organic elderberry juice during the cold/flu season. They started school this year and they have been sick a lot. But thank you for putting out this information for all those parents. You are such a sweetheart.
Sounds like she didn’t have a stomach virus – those don’t typically come with week long fevers and sore throats (unless it’s strep…that can come with a fever and some vomiting!). Sounds like she just had the flu!
Her doctor thinks she got BOTH! So awful!
hi Ali
I’m glad Molly is feeling better & I’m
sending prayers that your friends child gets well soon. (the care pkg you brought to her was very thoughtful)
the popsicles are great for soothing!
my Christmas wish is for people to be kind to one another.
Mr. banker Riley is a sweetheart. ♥️
So sorry your kiddos have been through the wrath of sickness. I’ve heard the reason that kids will throw up water vs. a popsicle is due to the body needing some electrolytes and sugar. Activated charcoal (From Walmart) can be helpful too on onset of sickness and as a preventative for everyone else in the house too. We give it to our calves if there’s some sickness floating around in the barns. It has the ability to bind nasty bacteria in the gut. Lastly, for stuffy noses and colds we live by our Vick’s waterless vaporizer! It does wonders. Then I put Vick’s on the bottoms of kids feet with socks to reduce coughing. Happy Holidays!
You are such a good mother! And your children are adorable. My daughter is expecting our first grandchild and I am beyond excited for the journey!
Thanks for sharing these tips! You should totally give away one of those thermometers.
Thanks for all the great tips!!!! It’s sooo hard having a sick baby, especially when you are sick too! Just getting over the same thing here… 1 yr old had a double ear infection that turned into a nasty cold. Still fighting it now after 8+ days while I had strep throat at the same time. Thank God for a good hubby to help out!!! Glad your all feeling better!!
Thank you for sharing these tips! My son is 11 months and has had his share of colds but never the stomach bug and it’s something I fear and worry about often. I will make a trip tomorrow and stock up on everything you suggested so I feel prepared when it strikes! Also, I obsess over my sons temperature when he sleeps as well 😉 glad I’m not the only one! 😘
I’m a complete emetophobe! Have been my whole life. I do everything in my power to avoid throwing up and to avoid my children getting ill. Zylast hand sanitizer has been my saving grace! It’s a broad-spectrum hand sanitizer and claims to kill Norovirus. I’ve had nothing but wonderful luck with it. Just want to share! https://www.zylastdirect.com/catalog.php
Oh my goodness I’m an emetophone also!! I hate the winter time with all the germs lurking everywhere!! Haha I’m totally buying this hand sanitizer! Thanks for the recommendation!
Ughhhhh, I was reading this blog post this morning, thinking how lucky we’ve been that my 2 year old seems to have escaped it. Then as I was putting her to bed, I realized she was burning up 😭. Just sent my husband out for the popsicles and masks. So glad Molly is feeling better. It was so sad seeing her so sick.
I can relate! My three year old twin boys are now on Day 8 of fever and sickness. This Momma is exhausted. It’s so sad seeing them sick for so long! We are probably headed back to the doctor today! I enjoy reading your posts! Helpful Momma tips for sure!
I’m glad Molly is feeling better. It’s so terrible that people think the flu vaccine is beneficial when in reality it doesn’t even protect against the flu virus that is prevalent and going around.
I totally understand your fear with fevers. My daughter had febrile seizures caused by fevers and they were absolutely terrifying!
Hi Ali. Just wanted to say some other tips that have helped me with my kids when they’ve caught the flu. I use lysol/clorox wipes on all the surfaces that get touched constantly. Also I alienate the person who’s sick to a room and I attend them there. The other kids can’t go to that room. I use gloves to attend the person that is sick. They’re toothbrush is kept apart from the others and we don’t share toothpaste. I give food in a plastic cup and plastic plate that can be thrown away and wash they’re clothing with hot water everyday. I mean it’s really tough doing all of this but has worked for me and my family the last 3 yrs when my daughter has gotten the flu even while being vaccinated.
I think it is important for you to note that you gave your daughter antibiotics. Although these are all tips for helping to soothe sick kids, you didn’t include anything about giving her prescription medication. As you should if she needs them, but that was included in your sick journey.
Please put a sponsored disclosure at the top of your post to minimize confusion.
A great thermometer is EVERYTHING!!! And, agree on the pops! We even used them when they were under one year old not frozen. Put it right in their bottle if they had a bug and there’s nothing more they would take and just needed the extra vitamins! Great post!
Did your children get flu shots? It is, without question, the first line of defense.
My daughter(9) has had the flu shot for the past three years and still got the flu. I heard from the pediatrician it doesn’t prevent you 100% from getting it but prevents complications that get you hospitalized.
Ali I loved reading this because I have experienced some of the EXACT same things you described ! My oldest is 5 now and up until recently she got sick very frequently. When she was a baby/toddler I use to sanitize everything all the time. I was very afraid of exposing her to germs. I realize now that me doing that prevented her from developing a good immune system. And of course I feel some mom guilt about this 😬 So I really try to not oversanitize anymore (although it’s hard for me!). I have been way more lax about germs with my second and she doesn’t get sick as much. But my oldest is in kindergarten now and her immune system is definitely improving too! And I also had the same thermometer issue! I took my oldest to the ER twice (the only 2 ER visits she’s ever had) because of false high readings on a thermometer. The first time it happened it said her temp was over 106! I think like 106.7 or something insanely high like that. I rush her to the ER to be told her temp is really around 102. Then it happened another time a couple months later! Crazy high thermometer reading at home, get to the ER and it’s way lower. Still a fever, but not an ER visit worthy fever. So after that I threw the thermometer away and left a 1 star review on Amazon (the only 1 star review I’ve ever written, ha!). At the time I also considered buying a medical grade thermometer like you did! Fevers can definitely be scary. Anyway thanks for the post. I can definitely relate! You are a great mom and you’re doing a fantastic job ❤️
I understand that Walmart is a partner of yours and the more we click on your links, the more beneficial for everyone involved however for me, when I click it it just takes me to the main page of Walmart, not the product page. Could be because I’m not in the states, but this makes your post only half as helpful for people like us 🙁 The thumbprint of the products is too small so I can’t even search it myself and you rarely mention the brand or the details so I don’t have enough clues to google it myself. Would appreciate it if you make it easier for people like us and give a little more information on the products you’re recommending.
Hi! I was just wondering what the other thermometers are that your friends suggested? I think it was meant to link to them in your post. I’m a FTM and so scared for the first time my little one gets sick. Here’s hoping we make it through this season without catching anything!
Ali
My kiddos are 18 and 21 years old. I still love reading your stories. I wish you were around back when my kids were babies. Keep it up and ignore the haters. There’s always around unfortunately. God Bless you And your family
In LA and many other areas of CA, Heal physicians will send a Pediatrician and Medical Assistant to your home in two hours or less. They are covered by many health plans or their cash visit rate is reasonable. No dragging sick kids to the ER or urgent care. Check out http://www.heal.com for more info!
My son is 20 months old and seems to bring home every germ from daycare during the months of September- April. We’ve gone through several thermometers for the same reason you mentioned. Thankfully he doesn’t get a fever with every sniffle he gets but when he does it’s definitely scary! He was sick a month ago and even with his fever clung to me 24/7. When his fever spiked we’d put him in the tub, it would drop his body temperature almost immediately. We’ve also used the cold patches they make for kids, but I didn’t find them to be very helpful, their stickability wasn’t great. And the other serious game changer is a battery operated snot sucker!!! Here’s to hoping for a healthy winter!
So happy to hear everyone is doing better! We have thankfully not had a stomach bug with our 16 month old yet, but definitely going to file this away for when it inevitably happens!
Thank you so much for this post. It was so scary watching Molly so sick and for so long. My daughter is also 3 and has only been sick a couple times but never anything too bad. She’s come down with a fever of 101.2 and is resting. I’m terrified what this could turn into Fevers are so scary. I’ve got the pedialyte pops ready to go for when she wakes up. Thank you again for your tips and advice.
It’s 9:30 pm on a Tuesday, and I’m sitting on the floor beside my child’s bed just PRAYING that she can go atleast another 15 minutes without throwing up. Though we all know it’s just part of childhood (and motherhood), it’s so heart-wrenching to watch her struggle and cry out for my help.
I’m grabbing everything I can to stay busy as I sit. That’s what brought me here to your site. I remember your insta post mentioning that you were going to blog about Molly’s recent illness. I just wanted to thank you for being so..”REAL”. Sharing your ups and downs; your tips and strategies; and all your “mommyhood” strengths and weaknesses. I am a 43 year old mother of 6. I have been a parent for over 20 years. You would think I would be an old hat at this. Yet I still feel weak and I’m questioning myself. Like maybe I’m not doing enough to help her. What should I be doing instead?? Did I NOT use enough hand sanitizer at the indoor playground?? After all this time, I still find that the only way to get through this is to SHARE our stories. We all stand so much to learn from each other. So, THANK YOU for being a part of that. Thank you for sharing your world through your posts and blogs. And thank you as well to all the other mothers that share their lives through comments. It is such a blessing to know that we are a TRIBE and we are not alone. We can heal each other and encourage each other without even realizing what we’ve done. How amazing is that?!
As they say, this too shall pass. And I’m forever grateful that it is only a virus. But you bet your bottom dollar that my heart hurts for my little girl tonight. I’m hoping that popsicles for breakfast will cheer her up.
Wishing you and yours a very happy and HEALTHY Holiday season….
My 2 year old son just got over the EXACT same thing. Started with the stomach flu and in to all the rest, and it also lasted a FULL EIGHT DAYS! Finally he is back to “school” as we call it and I am back to work today. Thank goodness for being back to routine! The pedialyte popsicles saved us too..BEST remedy ever! Thanks for sharing <3
Hi Ali! Thank you so much for this post, my 2 year old is very sick with a temp of 104.5. I am a single mom, but very fortunate to have my mom and you!, to help me! I remember being a little girl watching you on the bachelorette with my mom. Now I’m 22 and feel like I am growing with you. Thank you for helping others and inspiring moms all over! Much love ❤️ so glad Molly is better and that she loved frozen 2!!
Thank you for this post and advice!! I just put together a care package for my friend who’s 2 yr old son has the stomach bug. I know it will be a blessing to her and I will keep these tips for future illnesses with my 3 year old and 9 month old. Thanks for all you do!
Thank you for your post where can I find the exact thermometer that you have? The link is not working. What is the name of it?
I’m having the same frustration with my thermometer not being accurate or consistent. I can’t get the link for the one you suggest to work! Could anyone track down the name or a link? Thanks!
The thermometer link isn’t working. Can you please email me? We are dealing with Covid & I need an accurate reading for my 4 yr old 🙏🏼🙏🏼