Stomach Bug Survival Hacks for Parents (Things I Learned the Hard Way)

Stomach issues suck, right? And guess what? It’s also loads of fun cleaning up after another person suffering from a stomach bug. That’s why these handy stomach bug tips are a lifesaver for parents!

One horrible day, a stomach virus attacked my son and transformed my peaceful home into a battlefield. Danger! Danger! Sirens blaring and lights flashing. It was me against the mess. Well, me and a prescription of Zofran against the mess. 

We’ve all survived the years when our babies caught a new illness each week. (So am I the only one that didn’t think a stomach virus could rock my world so much?)

Stomach viruses only last 24 hours, right?

Yeah…wrong.  This one lasted almost five days. By the third night, I had learned a few survival tricks that every parent should know.

What Helps When Your Child Has a Stomach Bug?

Stomach viruses in kids can quickly turn into exhausting nights of vomiting, dehydration concerns, and constant cleanup. A few simple strategies can make the illness easier to manage, reduce the spread of germs, and help your child stay hydrated while their body fights the virus.

As a mom of two little germ magnets, these hacks were born of exhaustion and desperation. Most parenting articles make stomach viruses sound simple. They’re not — especially when you’re cleaning up vomit at 2 a.m.

What To Do When Your Child Has a Stomach Bug

Focus on Hydration First

Vomiting and diarrhea can quickly deplete a child’s body of fluids and electrolytes. Hydration is incredibly important. One of my uncles passed from dysentery as a toddler due to dehydration so this is something I am always cautious about. 

Don’t Worry if They Won’t Eat

It’s very common for kids with a stomach virus to refuse food for a day or two. Their stomach needs time to settle, and forcing food can sometimes trigger more vomiting. Focus on hydration first and reintroduce bland foods slowly once they start feeling better.

Prevent Dehydration

Honestly, it can be a struggle to get healthy kids to drink enough fluids. I’ve had to resort to forcing my son to drink Pedialyte from an oral liquid syringe every few minutes. Another trick I use is popsicles.

Reduce the Spread in Your Home

Once the storm starts subsiding, make sure you disinfect the house! 

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These stomach virus tips will help

• minimize messes
• reduce clean up time
• reduce the spread of germs
• keep your child hydrated
• prevent butt-tastrophes
• and most importantly let you spend more time comforting your child

They’ve worked for me and they will work for you!

Until a few weeks ago, my husband was working thousands of miles overseas, in a war zone, while I held down the fort at home.

Trust me, with two young kids, I was in a war zone too. I held down the fort for four years while he was deployed with the military as a contractor, and this was after fours years with him being on a submarine.

I had little help because who wants to come into a house that is struggling through a stomach virus? I didn’t want my friends or family to catch and spread this nightmare either.

Read: How to make your own DIY Gel Hand Sanitizer

If you’re a military spouse, you know how it is. If you’re a single mom or a “corporate widow” you also know what I mean. If your husband took one look at the mess and took off for a “very important work function,” you too, know what I mean.

This is the not so fun part of being the mom. 

These stomach bug hacks saved my sanity.

After five exhausting days of vomiting, fevers, and constant laundry, I figured out a few simple tricks that made caring for a sick child much easier.

How Long Do Stomach Viruses Last in Kids?

Most stomach viruses in kids last between 24 and 72 hours, but symptoms like diarrhea or fatigue can linger for several days. In our case, the illness lasted almost five days, which is why having a few practical tricks ready made such a difference.

Most parenting advice about stomach bugs is extremely basic — drink fluids, rest, wash hands. None of that helps much when your child is vomiting every 20 minutes.

Stomach Bug Hacks That Make Caring for a Sick Kid Easier

I’m starting with this tip first because chances are you are in the middle of taking care of sick kid. If this applies to you–do this now! It’s a life changer.

1. Line the Puke Bucket With Grocery Bags

I got this tip from my cousin, who’s son was hit by the bug a couple of weeks before mine caught it.

It’s genius.

I have had stomach bugs myself and went through the fun of early pregnancy nausea. I wish I had thought of this then.

A puke bowl or bucket is a no brainer.  If you don’t want to lie on the bathroom floor hugging the porcelain god for a few days, then a bowl/bucket is necessary. I don’t recommend simply using a plastic bag for young kids.  They are difficult to hold open when someone is ill.  Having a bucket or cheap large bowl is much easier.

But if you have a child that is constantly vomiting, during the time you wash the bowl you risk getting more puke on the bed or couch (this happened).  My cousin told me to line the puke bucket with a bunch of grocery store bags.

That way, I could easily dispose of the mess with minimal disruption to my son. Win!

My cousin uses a dollar store trash can that she can toss afterwards if she wants.  I used a bowl because of the wider opening. This was by far, the best hack. I have a cheap mixing bowl that I like to use for crafts. I just can’t bring myself to cook with a bowl that my kids were vomiting into! 

Hydration is so important when your child is ill. I have a couple of tricks I use to keep the fluids going in when they really just want to come out.

Of course you can also just buy bedside vomit bags but a bowl and grocery bags work in a pinch. 

2. Make Rehydration Popsicles

The virus started with a day of fever before the intestinal cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting began.

My son did not eat for four days.

My biggest worry was dehydration. I actually ended up bringing him to the hospital for an IV bag at the prompting of our pediatrician. He was also given Zofran to stop the vomiting. It was a God-send. He vomited up everything that I gave him up until then. Once he was given medication to help with nausea, I made these electrolyte replacement popsicles which he was able to eat.

The doctor cautioned against dehydration and electrolyte loss because the zofran only helped nausea but not diarrhea. (Our pediatrician said no when I asked if he needed something for diarrhea. The virus needs to run through.) Stomach bugs are a ton of fun! 

His throat was sore from vomiting for a day so the popsicles were soothing and also hydrating.

Once the worst of the stomach bug passes, choosing the right foods for stopping diarrhea can make recovery much easier.

3. Use a Medicine Syringe for Small Sips

I’ve been using a medicine syringe for years to give my kids small sips of water or Pedialyte every fifteen minutes while they’re sick. It lets you control the amount of fluid so they don’t immediately throw it back up.

This is a trick I use every time my kids have a fever. By the way, this is by far my favorite thermometer.

Want to keep track of your child’s health? Grab this sick kid printable set for your family binder! 

4. Make Gentle DIY Wet Wipes

I make these wipes with fractionated coconut oil, essential oils, and baby wash. They are a butt saver! (har har)

I stumbled onto essential oils when I decided to reduce the toxic chemicals in our home, while also saving money, by making my own cleaning solutions. It seemed like the only way to get safer cleaning supplies was to either pay an arm and a leg for the bottles marked “green” or make them myself. Little did I know, years later I would be making my own health and beauty products and relying on them to support my family’s health.

I started making this wipes recipe after a stomach flu that went through the house last year.  However, that bug was nothing compared to this.  My son used the restroom several times an hour for three full days and nights with this bug.  These personal hygiene wipes, when made with a soft paper towel brand can do wonders at cleaning little hineys with minimal chafing.

Unfortunately when you are using the restroom many times , there will be chafing from the toilet paper.

5. Use a Simple Cleansing Bottle

When that started, I made my own version of the perineal bottle.  You know, that bottle that they give to women post-labor to help her cleanse herself after using the restroom.

I didn’t have one of those bottles so I made my own.  I took a disposable “sport” topped water bottle and mixed warm water with a tablespoon of baby wash.  Towards the end of the bug, when your child has been wiped raw, squirting the area with this solution makes cleaning much easier. Of course, I bought these super cheap bottles to keep in my sick kid kit afterwards.

I did have him hop in the bathtub several times. But when it’s the third night of wiping him at 1am, 2am, 3am, then 4am and so on, you will be grateful for the squirt bottle too.

He was nearly out of his mind with a high fever for most of this illness.  (Thank goodness he is back to his normal self now!) So, I had to help him each time he went to the restroom.

In fact, he was so delirious that sometimes he didn’t make it to the restroom.

6. Pre-Treat Laundry Accidents Immediately

For those “accidents,”  I found that the all-purpose disinfecting spray that I make to clean my kitchen worked very well.  I simply sprayed the soiled clothes prior to tossing them in the wash.  The vinegar and vodka in the solution helped pre-treat the stain and get rid of the smell.

Nature’s Miracle is also something I use quite a bit to clean up organic waste.  If it works for dog urine and feces then it works for human accidents too.

7. Keep Extra Laundry Detergent Ready

I am so happy I make my own laundry detergent in bulk for super cheap.  I constantly washed the bedding and my son’s clothes, the entire time he was ill.  The numerous accidents and vomiting had to be cleaned asap to prevent the spread of the virus. I was so thankful that I didn’t have to worry about running out of detergent or having to find someone to run to the store for me to bring me some.

For particularly yucky laundry try this tip to defunkify the clothes.

What about everyone else in the house? You don’t want them to get sick too, right? 

Want to keep track of your child’s health? Grab this sick kid printable set for your family binder! 

How to Keep the Rest of the Family From Catching the Stomach Bug

I relied on easy to prepare foods and tv dinners.  I know, as a health conscious person I cringe about feeding my family Ramen noodles and tv dinners. But, I will also always keep some on hand for these times.

I was run ragged caring for my son and stressed beyond measure. However, my daughter and I needed to eat. I was also weird about handling food prep when I was elbow deep in vomit and poop. I felt like all the soap in the world wasn’t going to clean my hands!

But the good news was that neither Pea nor I caught the virus!

When we brought my son to the pediatrician, we were advised that in most cases the entire family caught the stomach flu. The doctor said to save any leftover Zofran because we would probably need them.

My manic laundry washing, Lysoling, and hand sanitizer must have worked! My son was better in a few days.

If you enjoyed these stomach bug hacks, you may find these helpful:

Best Cough Remedies for Night Time Cough

Parenting Hack: Best Way to Give Kids Medicine 

Natural Ways to Reduce Fever 

Tips to Prevent the Flu