5 Products That I Can't Live Without When My Kids Get Sick

The Homedics Cool Mist Oscillating Ultrasonic Humidifier ($60, originally $80) is a cool mist humidifier that's quiet, has multiple settings, and features a soft nightlight, making it the perfect choice for my child's bedroom.

It took a while to find the perfect humidifier, and I had two others prior to my mom gifting me this one. The first model, which had a single setting, did nothing for the air quality in my children's room, while the second leaked all over the table on which we had placed it after just a few uses. We've been using this one for almost two years now, and even went ahead and purchased a second one for our own bedroom — it's that good.

I love the Zarbee's Naturals Soothing Saline Mist With Aloe ($6) because it's gentle enough for multiple uses a day, and the ability to hold the bottle and spray in an upright position makes it easy to get into a squirmy little one's nose.

Once the saline loosens everything up, I get it all out with the NoseFrida ($16). I know that there's a major ick factor at the thought of sucking snot out of a kid's nose with your mouth, but I assure you that in the five years I've been using this, the filter has been 100 percent effective, and I've never once tasted my kids' boogers.

While an old-fashioned bulb aspirator works just as well, I prefer the NoseFrida's thicker tube. My kids hate when I try to get anything out of their noses, so I don't have to worry about accidentally sticking this too far up there when they're squirming all over the place.

When my kids are sick, a nice, warm bath is always guaranteed to help them feel better. Since I've had such great experiences with FridaBaby products in the past (namely their nasal aspirator and toothbrushes), I grabbed a package of these FridaBaby Natural Vapor Bath Bombs ($8) the first time I saw them on a store shelf. They did not disappoint, and are my new favorite product when it comes to helping ease their congestion before tucking them into bed for the night.

Since one of my children has sensitive skin, I was hesitant to add anything to her bath. But these bath bombs contain only natural essential oils, so I went ahead and gave them a shot. Much to my delight, they didn't irritate her skin (or eyes) at all, and now they're a sick-time staple in my house.

There's nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night because you can't breathe. To help my kids sleep better when they're sick, I rub this tried and true Vicks BabyRub Soothing Vapor Ointment ($5) on their chests before bed just like my mom did when I was a kid.