First, let’s get one thing out of the way: The flu isn’t fun at all. For anyone. That said, there are definitely ways that you can make the experience more tolerable for your kid. Here’s how to tell what’s truly going on with your kid, as well as some tricks from real moms about what to do when the flu does it.
How to tell if your kid has the flu
What to do when your kid has the flu
Like we said, you don’t automatically need to take your kid to their pediatrician if you suspect they have the flu. Kids should still stay home from school when they have the flu, though, as they’re contagious throughout the illness.
Other than that, “Most of the time, the treatment for healthy kids with flu is really supportive care: fluids, rest, steam, and pain and/or fever reducer, as well as a lot of TLC,” pediatrician Dr. Jen Trachtenberg told Good Housekeeping.
One of the main differences between adults’ experiences with the flu and kids’ experiences with the flu is stomach discomfort. It’s not unusual for kids to experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea when they have the flu. Tumeez organic tummy soothing pops can help with a variety of tummy troubles!
For different moms, home remedies for the flu look different. “No matter what the sickness, I always give my daughter honey and tea, and wrap her up in blankets,” says Jeanine Edwards, mom to an 11-year-old girl. “I also rub Vicks VapoRub on the soles of her feet and then put socks on — my grandma says it draws the sickness out of the bottom of their feet. Whether or not that’s true, at least one of the things always seems to work.”
For Anne Young, mom to a 4-year-old boy and a 4-month-old girl, an illness like the flu is reason to relax the normal rules a bit. “I give lots of popsicles, and maybe some watered-down juice, which he doesn’t drink otherwise. I also am definitely a little looser with screentime when he isn’t feeling well.”
