There are things that are absolutely dreadful in life. But there is one thing that is worse than getting a bad haircut or a botched at-home Brazilian bikini wax or even your thumb falling off because you change channels with the remote too much. And that thing is when your kid gets sick. Nothing gets done. Your kid is miserable and it's so sad to see. And everything you own has snot on it. You become helpless -- nothing you can do can help your adorable little one from turning into a pile of frowny face mush. 

So as mothers we do what we have to do and we start pointing fingers. This is somebody's fault and you start counting back three days to when they were possibly exposed to this yuck and blame Grandma for not covering her mouth when she coughed, the kid at the playground who shared her granola bar, or your friend's kid who liked to pick boogers and feed them to your child. We blame, blame, blame.

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.

Moms, we're doing it wrong! According to a new survey -- let's bring the dads into this conversation, too -- we parents are treating our kids' fevers the wrong way. There's a big disconnect between how we think we should be treating a fever and what pediatricians actually recommend.

The makers of Advil® sponsored a survey that talked with 1,026 parents of children ages 12 years and younger and over 250 pediatricians nationwide. They found out that half of us (52 percent) feel anxious, fearful, and helpless when our kids get a fever. And almost all (94 percent) pediatricians think we need to be better educated about how to handle those panic-inducing fevers. Wouldn't it be great if you knew EXACTLY what to do about your child's next fever? Read on to see if you're treating your kids' fevers right.

After my long and sordid career as a mother (read: 10 years), I've ascertained that certain kids are prone to certain ailments. My eldest had a propensity toward lung issues. My baby, well, she was born with a neural tube defect. My middle son, Alex, oddly has had problems with his eyes.

From that description, you might think that he'd been born partially blind, or with a lazy eye, or is cross-eyed or something, and you'd think that I'm only capable of making weird kids. (Which is, in fact, true.) But in this case, it's a moot point. Because Alex's eye issues are all accidental.

I haven't been outside today, and no, it's not because I'm a hermit/vampire who has to avoid the sun lest I burn like parchment.

No, I haven't stepped foot outside because I'm afraid I'll see a swarm of locusts. The end is nigh. In fact, I may get out a piece of cardboard and clang a bell up and down the block yelling, "THE END IS COMING."

Hey someone's got to be the Town Crier.

(You can trust me, I'm a nurse.)

Two weeks ago, I got some sort of stomach bug. At the time, I attributed it to anxiety, because things in Casa de la Vodka have been *ahem* challenging.

Then my daughter started to vomit.

Soon, my house resembled the Great Barf-o-Rama from that movie with the kid from Star Trek.

Around the country, reports of an increase in RSV cases are pouring in. In Montana, children under 12 are being asked not to visit a hospital to help stop the spread of respiratory syncytial virus. In Austin, one hospital is seeing 50-70 cases of it a day. While for most children, it's not much worse than a bad cold or flu, for others, the virus can be deadly.

If you have a baby or toddler, chances are your child has had it or will get it. It's a highly contagious lower respiratory infection, and most children get it before they're 3. Symptoms include things like a runny nose and a cough, often followed by vomiting and wheezing, and typically last about 8-10 days. Not fun, but most can be treated at home with pain relievers and plenty of fluids and rest.

Some children, however, develop more serious conditions because of it -- like bronchitis and pneumonia -- and for some, it becomes critical and is something to freak out about.

Mr. Spring is about to kick it off, with warmer weather and an extra hour of sunlight (oh, sweet Daylight Savings Time!), but, in my family, Ms. Winter and her cold and flu season are overstaying their welcome. Yup, we're still battling sneezes and fevers. Having a sick kiddo is no fun for anybody, but we've rounded up the 10 things you should do when the coughing, aches, and yuckiness visit your home.

We are on Round 5 of the flu in our home. Fevers, aches, you name it, we've had it. When my daughter is sick, that means five hours of Busytown Mysteries, complete with the theme song about Huckle, the one that sticks with you long after the sniffles are gone.

In my kiddo's class, germs are passed around like the potato chips at a Super Bowl party. Like a beer bong at a frat house. Like a juicy piece of gossip.

Chalk it up to part of growing up, right? Kids will get sick. Doesn't matter who they are around, if they are in the classroom, they will get sick. But a new study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says not necessarily.