Fever Hacks for Kids

With three kids, I am no stranger to fevers - especially when it comes to my daughter Alice.

Ever since she was a baby, Alice has gotten high fevers. With temps often reaching 105,
I've learned a lot about how to handle Alice's fevers over the past nine years. Recently, with this terrible flu season that we're experiencing, she had a fever of 104 for 15 days.

With all of this in mind, I'm sharing my best fever survival hacks. Kids are going to get sick. They're going to get fevers (even if you bathe them in disinfectant and refuse to let them leave the house.) Here are my best tips for how to handle those fevers when they happen.

Know When to Call the Doctor

Let's start right off by reminding everyone that I'm not a doctor. And I have zero business giving you medical advice. I'm simply sharing what works for our family. If your child has a fever, give your pediatrician a call to find out if you should make an appointment and/or offer over-the-counter medication.

Create a Quarantine

It used to be that when one of the kids got sick, we were all sick for weeks - passing those germs 'round and 'round the house. About a year ago, we started quarantining the sick child as quickly as possible.

Now, all sick kids remain in my bedroom. It's not ideal for me and Even Steven, but it makes the most logical sense for our family. They have a television, their own bathroom to use, and no one else is allowed in (except us to take care of them of course.)

This has made a huge difference in keeping those germs from spreading between siblings. And it's a great set up for us because if one of the kids is really sick (like when Simon had pneumonia last year), I can sleep with them to keep an eye on them throughout the night. And the other nights, Even Steven and I just sleep in the guest room.

Drink Up, Buttercup

When my kids come down with a fever, hydration is more important than ever. For Alice, I can entice her to drink by giving her a special glass and fun pinwheel straw.

The boys usually refuse to drink a thing, so I offer them popsicles instead. Whatever works to keep them as hydrated as possible!

Create a Fever Survival Bucket

When Alice gets a fever, I get out my fever survival bucket. It's stocked with fun notebooks, coloring books and word games that only come out when she's sick. One of her favorite dolls is there along with some chapstick and nose wipes.

This helps her easily keep track of everything when she's quarantined in our room.

TRACK THE FEVER

You don't have to have a special chart or printable to track your child's fever - just grab a notebook and start writing down the times and temps. I also like to track when I call the doctor and what they said to help myself keep track.

If your child gets sick a lot, it might be best to track everything in the same notebook for easy reference at the doctor's office.