Kids Home Sick? How You Can Make This Time Less Stressful for Everyone

• Author: Jacob Greene
• Posted: 2024-04-06

Cold and flu season is upon us. There is no getting around the fact that it is no fun when your kids are home sick. Not only are they feeling miserable and cranky, but you are doing double duty trying to perform the normal parenting duties while dealing with the added stress of a sick family member. Here are a few ways that you can make a sick day at home less stressful for everyone.

Understand the Applicable Work and School Policies

You are going to be understandably stressed if you do not know how this wrench in your day is going to affect your own work day. Understanding your work sick leave and personal time policies will help you to make the best decisions for your family. For example, perhaps your husband has a more generous personal time policy in place with his employer. This may mean that he needs to bear the brunt of the duties at home if a child is sick.

In addition to knowing your specific work policies as they relate to time off to care for ill children, you also need to understand the applicable daycare or school policies. For example, how long after a fever breaks do you need to wait before sending a child back to school or daycare? Knowing all of this ahead of time will take a lot of the guesswork out of the situation when a child does fall ill.

Have a Backup Plan in Place

It never fails that a child will get sick at the worst possible time. Maybe you have already used up all of your time off? Or perhaps you have a big meeting that you cannot miss? Having a backup plan in place will ensure a smoother transition and make for a less stressful experience. Good choices include grandparents, neighbors, trusted family friends, or college students that may be looking to earn some extra cash.

Prioritize Work Responsibilities

If you are a working parent, you understand how challenging it can be to deal with work responsibilities while also trying to provide care for a sick child. Setting your priorities each day will help you to feel good about what you can still get done without becoming overwhelmed. By prioritizing your work duties for the day, you will be able to identify the key deadlines that you need to focus your attention on during the downtime of caring for your child.

Practice Preventative Care

The best way to avoid stress on sick days is to avoid the sick days themselves. While it is not always possible to guard against all germs, you can take a number of preventative steps to lower the risk of illness in your family. Start this preventative care by getting a flu vaccine each fall. If your child is afraid of shots, consider getting them the flu mist vaccine instead. A vaccine along with proper personal hygiene can go a long way in helping to mitigate the effects of cold and flu season.

Layer Bedsheets

If you are dealing with a case of the stomach flu, you know all too well how messy it can get quickly. Savvy parents layer the bedsheets and blankets if their child is suffering from a bout of the stomach flu. If your child becomes sick on the bed, simply pull off the dirty sheet and you will have clean ones underneath. This can be a real lifesaver and stress reducer in the middle of the night when you do not want to be dealing with dirty mattresses.

Stay Calm

Your child will feed off of your stress and anxiety during this challenging time, making it important that you are mindful about staying calm and relaxed despite the situation. You will make the sick day more manageable for everyone if you are intentional about staying relaxed. Rather than approaching the day with a negative attitude, try to frame your mindset so that your child does not feel as if they are a burden.

Although you can never prevent all sicknesses from entering your house, there are ways that you can make this stressful time more manageable. Just remember that this too shall pass.