Doctor tells parents how to prepare a sick box for their kids to get ready for the flu season

Perhaps nothing worries a parent more than a sick child. It becomes more challenging if parents are not ready with resources to deal with sickness. So, as the kids are back in school and the flu season has arrived, a doctor on TikTok has some brilliant suggestions on what to keep in a "flu box" to stay well-prepared for the changing season. Dr. Meghan Elizabeth Beach Martin–who goes by @beachgem10 on the platform–shared the flu box essentials so parents can tackle any sickness without hassle.

"The kids are back to school. It is almost cold and flu season, and I guarantee you your kids will get sick at the least convenient time, so let's get your flu box ready," the doctor began. The first thing in her box were some disposable vomit bags. "Y'all, when I tell you these vomit bags have saved me. They are disposable. They just twist and tie and you can just toss them in the trash can," Martin revealed. "Acetaminophen and ibuprofen for fevers and discomfort. You have chewables. You have liquids." The doctor suggested, "Don't spend all your money on those forehead or ear thermometers. They're expensive, and they're not accurate. Get yourself an easy digital thermometer like this," she said while showing one to her viewers.

"We are moving away from using Benadryl. So, I have Zyrtec for allergic reactions or hives," she explained, showing the next thing in her box. A pulsimeter was also featured in the list. "Portable pulse ox, good on medium and normal size hands not as great on tiny hands but gives you an idea of the heart rate and how their oxygenation is looking ... If you are a very dark skin tone, it doesn't work as good when it gets to the lower numbers. If you are concerned, ignore this and just take the kiddo in." The doctor also kept Pedialyte packs in her box. "They're powder. They fit in the box better than like a big jug of the liquid would. Kids need to replace sugar and electrolytes when they're sick and not eating regular food and this is a balanced way to do that."

Halls kids cough drops were also a part of the package in case of a cough or sore throat. "I don't recommend decongestants for kids. Instead, saline is where it's at. So, for bigger kids, you can just use this in the nose or you can buy saline packets or saline over the counter and do something like this squeeze bottle to help irrigate. Do not use tap water. That can be very dangerous," Martin warned. "Also, have things like this for the younger kids, the mist that they can breathe. It helps get the snot out. Now's the time to be prepared. Best of luck."

People took to the comments to appreciate the information. @krisclark148 wrote, "Your content = what the internet is missing. Helpful, positive, educational, kind, honest, safe, and a bit of funny. From one St. Pete momma to the next, You rock!" @mariva621 commented, "I feel like you are sending us to war. It is war, though." @myjobjugs remarked, "Thank you! My family insists the forehead thermometers are accurate and I'm like, 'Ugh, my normal temperature isn't 97.1.'" @emjemanderson shared, "As a mother of 3, we have our sick box ready and available. I call it back to school decorating."

You can follow Dr. Meghan Elizabeth Beach Martin (@beachgem10) on TikTok for more health-related content.