parenting while sick
Rule #1: Wear Them OutIt happens to the best of us. Those kiddos bring home pre-school germs and we get the sick twice as bad as those little buggers ever did. At least that's what's going on in our household and just in time for winter vacation! Just as I was about to throw in the towel, I stumbled upon the Barefoot Foodies sick parenting guide, which provides lots of entertaining options for you while you're battling the snots. And in spite of the NSFW -- or children -- videos, she actually did inspire me to teach my kids how to Dougie, while I sat on couch wrapped in a blanket.

These, and other tips got me through my worst sick day with two lively children. How did I do it? Here's how.

1. The Family Nap

Following the teaching of the Dougie, feed your children comfort food (mac and cheese, pizza, really whatever is easily accessible to you) and make everyone lie down. If children seem a little energetic, go back to the Dougie lesson one more time while you lie on couch and enjoy. Then head to the family bed for the family nap. This way, you can do that one eye closed, one eye open thing to make sure they're not getting into any trouble. Half a nap is better than none.

2. Bedroom LEGO Party

I recently learned that my toddler can sit and play with LEGOS for hours. Maybe yours has a different distraction, but the idea is the same. Pile it up at the foot of your bed, place children in front of pile, and go to bed.

3. Massage School

While lying in your bed (you're seeing the pattern here, right?), have your toddler sit on your back and give you a massage. Don't worry, tiny fingers can't do much damage.

4. Screens

There's no such thing as "too much screen time" when mom is sleepy. So if all else fails, bust out the TV/laptop/iPhone. Put it on mute and hand it over to the kid. Sleep with one eye open to make sure he's not sending inappropriate text messages/flipping the channel to porn.

How do you get through your own sick days when kids are all around you?