Tips for Taking Care of a Sick Toddler
Caring for a sick child of any age is no joke, but when the child is a baby or a toddler, things can be infinitely more difficult. Not only will being sick make your little one uncomfortable, but it could potentially be painful for them, and it can be quite challenging to comfort them. Over the past couple of weeks, my husband and I have both been battling a vicious cold while caring for our toddler who had hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). For those unfamiliar with this condition, it is a contagious viral illness that usually affects children under five. It is characterized by a rash, fever, and sores on the child’s hand(s), feet, and/or mouth. It’s quite common in children Bebe’s age, but was tough to deal with nonetheless. We are not certain about where she contracted it, but we’re pretty sure it was daycare (where she catches most of her ailments). It was the daycare staff who noticed the symptoms and we were called to pick her up because of how contagious it is.
At first, Bebe had the most subtle red bumps on her hands (not in or around her mouth or on her feet), so I thought they were either wrong or exaggerating the symptoms. However, over the next few days, Bebe started pointing at her mouth and saying “Ouchie.” At that point, we knew HFMD was probably the correct diagnosis. Unfortunately, since it is a viral infection, there was no medication that we could give her to treat the symptoms other than Baby Tylenol to mitigate the pain.
It’s been a trying few weeks for us. My husband and I have both had to miss some work to take care of her, and we ultimately decided to spend Christmas on our own rather than seeing family (a decision we don’t regret at all because it was so peaceful to take a break from family).
However, it’s not our first time handling a sick baby/toddler and it won’t be our last. Here are some strategies we’ve learned and used over the past two years to care for our little one when she’s sick:
Hydration is extremely important. The first thing your child’s pediatrician will tell you is to keep your child hydrated. That can sometimes be easier said than done when your toddler is stubborn and not thirsty, but we offer her water often and she sometimes takes it. Another effective strategy is to offer your child a popsicle. We buy Pedialyte popsicles because of the electrolytes. In addition to that, I like to offer Bebe sparkling water, like La Croix. She thinks it’s soda so she drinks a lot more of it than just plain water.
If your child doesn’t like to eat anything when they’re sick (like our child), PediaSure Grow & Gain can be a great supplement until they get their appetite back. It won’t replace food entirely but it will provide your child with nutrients and calories until they’re feeling better. We do not try to pressure or force Bebe to eat under any circumstances. My husband and I were both forced to eat at times when we were little and we agree that it does more harm than good.
Encourage sleep as much as possible. When Bebe is sick and isn’t able to go anywhere, there is no reason for us to wake her up and we let her sleep as much as possible. Sometimes it throws off our schedule a bit, especially if she sleeps too late in the day, but she almost always wakes up feeling better. Not to mention it gives us a chance to catch up on chores and handle some work remotely.
We’re a little more lenient than usual. On an average day, we wouldn’t want Bebe to watch too much Baby Shark or eat too many lollipops but if she’s sick, we try not to be too rigid. Sickness is hard on anybody but if you’re a toddler and don’t know what’s going on, that extra lollipop can really boost the morale.
We’re not afraid to let caregivers take care of Bebe when she’s sick. Ideally, we would love to stay with Bebe all the time when she’s sick but we also need to minimize the days that we’re out of work. It’s also not ideal for us to always be working from home, either. So if my mom or sister are willing to stay with our toddler when she’s sick, we let them and we try not to feel too guilty about it. That’s what a village is for.
We alternate between Baby Tylenol and Baby Motrin to help with any pain or fever. I don’t know the exact science but supposedly, it’s best to use both (not at the same time). Not only do these medications help with her discomfort, they also help her sleep better. Both of them work fast, bringing down a fever within minutes. We always have bottles of both in our home.
We keep a humidifier in Bebe’s room. The humidifier is quite helpful, especially when her nose is congested and she has to breathe through her mouth. It can also help when she has a cough.
Endless snuggles. We are always very affectionate with our toddler but when she’s sick, she usually doesn’t want to let us go at all. And we don’t make her unless we absolutely have to. I’ve spent entire mornings with Bebe sleeping on my lap, unable to go the bathroom but happy that she’s at least comfortable. State of mind can undoubtedly affect our physical health, so we do our best to keep Bebe in good spirits when she’s not feeling well (to the best of our ability).
We usually let her sleep in our bed if she can’t sleep in her bed. We usually try to put Bebe down for the night in her bed, but if she struggles to fall asleep or stay asleep when she’s sick, she can sleep with us (even if she’s not sick, to be honest). Some parents think we’re too lenient and are fostering bad habits, but I think those same parents are too rigid with their children. *shrug*
Get outside. It’s never a good thing to stay indoors for days at a time, even when you’re sick. That’s why we try to leave the house for short periods when any of us are sick. This could mean taking a short car ride or going on a little walk, etc. The fresh air and sunshine can work wonders for physical and mental health.
Keep everything as sanitary as possible. We do this by keeping hand sanitizer in the kitchen and our bathroom and by keeping our house clean in general. Changing sheets as often as necessary and washing toys/stuffies can help, too.
XOXO, Alexis.