Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the Vick’s Winter Warm-up event at Finale Desserterie and Bakery in Boston.  Finale makes the most amazing desserts and hot chocolate.  Vick’s is a brand I know and trust; their VapoRub is a must have in my house.  Combine the two, and I’m there.

I arrived to the event much later than anticipated due to traffic and parking challenges, so I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of the incredible selection of treats laid out by Finale.  You’ll just have to trust me when I say, Finale is divine.

I did, however, get to listen to Dr. Meg Meeker, a down-to-earth pediatrician, author, and mother of four.  She won me over almost as soon as she opened her mouth by affirming that moms today put too much pressure on themselves.  We feel we must provide them with engaging extra-curricular opportunities, send them to the best schools, and feed them the most wholesome food, all while making sure we’re setting a good example by volunteering, working and trying to keep a household together.  In her words, “Kids don’t care if the brownies are made from scratch or out of a box.  They just want to eat them with you.”

I’m telling you,  this woman would be my pediatrician if she lived around here.  She doesn’t, but I did get a copy of her book, The 10 Habits of Successful Mothers.  I haven’t finished reading it, but so far I’m really enjoying it.

She shared some advice for moms, especially moms of young children, for getting through the dreaded cold & flu season.  Bottom line, kids are going to get sick despite your best efforts.  Don’t beat yourself up about it.  However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the discomfort when the nasty colds do strike.

• use saline drops in the nose to reduce congestion. (My husband swears by this stuff)
• hydrate – especially when a child has a fever.  Water is good, but they need electrolytes.  Use Pedialyte for children under 2. Gatorade is okay for children over 2.
• change your toothbrushes once a month. (I’ll admit, I don’t do this — but I won’t beat myself up about it)
• humidifiers can help keep you healthy. Homes kept at 40-60% relative humidity can reduce the survival of the flu virus on surfaces and in air.
• keep both acetaminophen and ibuprofen on hand. You can alternate the two to help bring fevers down faster.

Most importantly, you know your child best.  Trust your intuition.  If your child is sick, and the pediatrician doesn’t give you the answers you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to get a little pushy.

Before we left the event we were given a goody bag with tons of Vick’s products.  My favorite is the new Behind Ear Thermometer.  I haven’t had to use it yet, but I think it will quickly become one of my go to items.  It allows you to take a quick (as in one second) temperature from placing it in the hollow behind (not in) the child’s ear.  There is a color coded display to quickly tell if your child has a fever: green means no fever, yellow means fever has slightly elevated (it saves the last 8 measurements), red means your child has a fever.  I think this might be added to my gift list for new moms.

*Disclaimer – I was provided lunch and a gift bag with several Vick’s products as well as a book by Dr. Meg Meeker for attending this event.  The opinions are my own.