One day out of school? Fine, here’s the remote. But by day four of a low-grade temp— just enough to keep the kid home— most parents get rather desperate for ideas. We are both unfortunate experts on the topic of kids’ sick days, and in this episode we discuss

what you should already have around the house in anticipation of those “Mommy, I don’t feel well” moments
how to decide if your kid is really sick enough to stay home
why sick days are not the time to introduce a new skill
how kids will act better before they report feeling better
why even sick days need a semblance of a schedule
the importance of “blank-facing”
and why we must always beware secondary gain.

Here’s links to some research and articles with great ideas for sick-day kids that we discuss:
Devon Corneal for Real Simple: 16 Clever Ways To Entertain a Child Who’s Home Sick
Parenting Magazine: Activities for Kids on Sick Days
Stephanie Morgan for Momtastic: 10 Activities When Sickness Has You Stuck At Home
Carrie McBride for Apartment Therapy: 5 Survival Tips for Being Sick at Home
from NPR: Should My Slightly Sick Child Stay Home? The Rules Often Conflict
and most importantly, this sobering read, from Heather Murphy for the New York Times: Fish Depression is Not a Joke
Want to help a sick kid in the hospital who is really super-bored? Donate a LEGO set to Sam’s LEGO Drive!
One of our favorite sick day hacks? Audible. (Amy’s daughter has listened to three Harry Potters and the entire Incorrigible Children series, saving her mother’s sanity while she listens.) Get your 30-day free trial at audibletrial.com/whatfreshhell- and help support our podcast at the same time!