How to survive Hand Foot and Mouth … with a toddler and new born

1. 1. Find your cruise ship entertainment director hat and place on head (on top of the other many hats you wear): I was flying solo on the good ship lollipop while my toddler had hand foot and mouth with a 3 week old at home. Captain, entertainment director, chef, scullery maid and poop deck swabber extraordinaire.  It was 10 days of feeling lost at sea… but we made it work. Ok enough with the ship references… maybe. Every night while my toddler was asleep I prepared the itinerary, activities/crafts, snacks, meals, clothes and lounging stations.
      1. Activities: The need to be new and exciting and open ended. No Instructions aside from have fun. ” If you are like me and don’t like to keep random plastic toys from meals or clutter you may have less options ( and less to sanitize in later steps). I do however keep random coloring sheets, craft items and outdoor games. So if this sounds like you its your time to shine! Bust out all the randomness you can for toddler entertainment. /Most importantly have activities that are easy to sanitize and clean up into a hard surface container. We chose ALOT of out side time. We used screen time as a last resort knowing 100 degree weather was coming and for days our toddler wasn’t up for moving much. This kept the excitement in screen time for our house when we had no other options!
      2.  Snacks stations: Set up a snack container that is hard surfaced (for easy sanitizing between chow line sessions) with snack, food and drinks your toddler likes, are easy to open if individually wrapped AND not going to hurt sores as they appear in mouth. This container can easily be moved where ever is easier for you to set up for eating. Plain water or Pedialyte for hydration are best choices for drinks. We also LOVE Pedialyte popsicles. Feels like a special treat for them and helps ease our minds.
      3. Lounging stations: I set up an interesting new way for our toddler to lounge, rest or just chill each day for her room, our main indoor space and outside. We set up a couple blankets, interesting pillows(that are washing machine safe) and a new stuffy. For the family room we had a big box and a teepee that we set up with blankets and in the top of the TeePee it came with lights so once dark out she was still interested in this space. Outside I set up her outdoor tent. All of these stations take one major set up but can be altered daily with items to keep the excitement there. I took the items out of each every night to clean (in the washing machine on sanitize) *Note any stuffy you wash/dry could ruin fur, feathers or tail/mane* We happened to already have items on hand for station set up. However, the key take away is, having stations with walls will help contain coughing from going everywhere AND will keep child naturally in a small space for easier cleaning later.                                       

           2.Sanitizing: Keeping the house as clean as  possible is key with a new born in this situation.

1. 1. 1. Clean Early and Often: I placed a pack of Kleenex brand anti Viral/ Antibacterial wipes in each room. I already had these on had because I accidently purchased a bulk box on amazon. Which saved me in the long run… thank you past me! Wipe all high traffic surfaces as often as possible (I wiped each space when we were in there.)
      2. Load it up: Have a laundry basket at the ready! I would walk around the house collecting the items from the stations (and any others that had been coughed on, sneezed on… looked at) and washed and dried before goind to bed each night.
      3. Layers: Have XL T shirts or hoodies (depending on weather) in each room. So you can throw them on over your clothes as you tend to your toddler so you can remove before tending to your new born. Prevent accidental germ transfer.
      4. Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate: That broken, old and dingy water bottle you hate to get rid of but don’t ever use. This is the time to use it! Sanitize each night. Push Hydration all day every day. At the end of the, approximately, 10 days clean it, recycle the plastics and feel good about one major final use.
      5. Replace: Get new tooth brushes ready for once child is healed.

                 3. Feeling better/Managing Symptoms of Hand, Foot and Mouth

1. 1. Pain: Tylenol/Motrin rotation for pain. Do not let the doses get too far apart or child will be miserable with the sore in mouth and it will be a fight to take the meds.
   2. Itchy: Our toddlers sores were head to toe. Not just Hands, feet and mouth… and they itched. Our ER visit recommended we use Benadryl at night for itching.
   3. Burn/Itch/Pain: Baking soda in bath made a big different in healing burning and anti itch for our toddler. Do not use while sore are open.
   4. Prevention of scars: Socks on hands at night to prevent itching to the point of bleeding. We made a game of it that she is Elsa putting gloves on and sang ALOT of let it go at night.
   5. Hydrate over night: Ice in water bottle over night (and throughout the day if desired) to help child stay drowsy when they wake up. The cold water will soothe through and sores and make them settle faster.
   6. Clothing choices: Long Sleeves and Pants if it is not to hot. Prevent blisters on surfaces as much as possible and prevent itchy/scratching/scarring as much as possible.
   7. Fun and Healing: Water activities with oat, baking soda or soothing mix with breast milk if you have extra. To help sooth sores and give the child something fun to do. We brought our the bin of random Tupperware that is rarely used, beach balls, and hard bath toys . All items need to be sanitized after each use. Finally I had natural bath bombs with oat that I added for some extra flair when the water play got stale .

I know reading this it may seem excessive… and honestly at times it felt excessive on top of new born life as mom. However, it made the week more manageable, less tears and more enjoyment of the beginning of our summer and new life as a family of 4. This also helped prevent my toddler feeling like it was me and the newborn together and her by herself for 10 days. I hope you are reading this preventatively and not because your household has HFMD. If it has hit your house, good luck, you’ve got this and give yourself grace.