There is nothing worse than having a sick family member and not having essentials on hand when you need them. Today let’s talk about sick kits. Do you have one? If not, you need one!! Seriously, these things can be lifesavers. Especially when one of your kiddos gets sick in the middle of the night or if some nasty bug hits everyone at once.
For my sick kit, I use a large plastic storage tub with a lid. You can use whatever you’d like but the key is to keep it somewhere where it’s out of sight or you’ll find that family members tend to use the items and then you are back at square one.
When I am assembling my kit, I try to think about things we would need for stomach bugs and for colds and flu. If you have younger kids, be sure to have children’s medication versions on hand.
Here’s what I usually put in my sick bins:
Kleenex
Lysol Spray or Clorox wipes
Hand sanitizer
Electrolyte drink- could be smart water, Pedialyte, Gatorade
Soup- It’s nice to keep frozen soup in the freezer but I always keep some cans of soup in my sick bin.
Crackers
Applesauce- Good for kiddos needing to follow BRAT diet
Cough Drops
Pain Reliever (kids and adults)
Cough Medicine
Anti-diarrheal medication (like Imodium)
Preferred Med for nausea
Carton of chicken broth
Package of toothbrushes- to either use while sick and toss or to use after you recover so you can toss your old one
Nasal saline
Mucus Relief medicine (like Mucinex)
When my kids were younger, I usually kept something like a new book, coloring book and crayons or a new action toy inside to pull out when they were sick.
Vick’s Vapor Rub or Essential Oil like (Eucalyptus)
Thermometer
Honey- nice to have on hand to soothe sore throats
Once everyone is on the mend, you need to make sure you replenish supplies right away, so you aren’t stuck missing something next time! I’ve included my Sick Kit Checklist below, so print a copy and get your kit ready today!