How to Manage Sick Twin Toddlers [Cold & Flu Edition]

Truth: Having one sick kid sucks. Bigger truth: having two sick kids blows. And when twins get sick, it blows even more because they pass the germs between each other.

We (as a family) survived COVID in the height of it [yes, both twins + Mom had COVID at 7.5 months old] but now with toddlers, it's a completely different ball game.

Our pediatrician said we should expect 8-10 colds before they turn 2. We are closing in on on our second and third colds - of which we had the luxury of experiencing back to back for 30+ days straight.

It has been ROUGH! There were consecutive nights where I was up every 1-2 hours dealing with coughing/vomit/crying from one or both of the girls. It got to a point where my eyes burned just to sit....but we survived and you can too!

Despite all of my Googling, I rarely came across anything that talked about how to handle two being sick in tandem, so sharing some of my learnings below:

All rules go out the window when they are sick - My mom has said this for years and she was right. What ever you can do to comfort them is key. Extra pacifier time, yes. Screen time, yes. Pouches on the couch, yes. Bologna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, yes.

Let them sleep - We twin moms know that we live and die by the schedule, but when they are sick, they need the sleep. There were days where one would sleep 2+ hours later than the other [and maybe it's because she was up in the night], but let them sleep. We always work to extract the early riser as quietly as possible to allow her sister to sleep.

Take care of yourself - Yes, we all want to be superheroes…but, in reality…we’re human and it is near impossible to run on empty and stay healthy. Cut yourself some slack. Order takeout/delivery, go to bed early, and try to catch a catnap when they sleep.

Wash your hands - And buy some nice lotion that you keep near the sink to avoid those cracked hands. I am the only person in the house that avoided this illness (hubby and nanny got it). Wipe their noses, wash their hands, every single time....and yes, there were periods when I had to wipe noses, wash at sink, and repeat every few minutes for hours.

Buy the big bottle of medication - It only took one night at 9pm when I was in disbelief that we had finished another bottle of Motrin, when I asked our pediatrician if we could transition from the infant version to the child version. It was a big YES, which made it much easier to have ample supply on hand. Toddler mom hack: Use the syringe from the infant bottle to feed them the 5mL. It's way easier than asking an 18 month old to take the meds from the small cup.

Cuddle & Snuggle - Time is fleeting. As much as I found myself trying to prep or clean or be productive when they weren't clinging or crying, remember that those things can wait and soak in the time with them on your lap especially when they're sick.

In this process, we discovered some great items that helped us navigate this round of colds & flu:

FridaBaby Electric - I know tons of parents swear by Frida Baby products, but I could never bring myself to actively suck their snot out with my mouth. I discovered the new electric version at Target and RUSHED to the store for it! (link)

DIY Food Pouches - I've determined all toddlers love pouches, but they are expensive, especially when you are going through 2X at a time. I found these from BabyBreza and they are a game changer. Scoop the applesauce/yogurt into the pouch and you are good to go! Throw them in the dishwasher to sterilize and reuse (link)

Humidifier when Sleeping - This gave lots of relief, was easy to use, and wasn't a water mess when (not if) the twins knocked it over. (link)