Salt and Stone Bakery

The children are sick! As soon as Andrew left from his visit the “Vomit Olympics” began. The 3-year-old was the first to go down, but he was soon followed by his little sister. And since then, it has been a whirlwind of trying to manage a two sick little toddlers at once. Of course, all of this happened virtually moments after Andrew left from his weekend visit. So there I was, managing on the home-front solo.

Taking care of two sick toddlers by yourself is no easy feat. And in the moment, it can be difficult to feel anything other “survival mode” or even frustration at these little people who demand so much from you. However, especially during this season of Lent, I am trying to learn to bear trials well. I am trying to remind myself that God gave me these children, in part, as a means for my sanctification.

Through my whole life I have struggled to give up control. I have wrestled with what it means to submit to God’s will. And, I have had to learn the hard way that I am not capable of doing this on my own. In fact, I am still learning this lesson. Like a small child, I fall again and again. But I truly believe the Lord will be there to pick me up and dust me off time and time again if I just turn to Him for help. So if you, too are struggling to see this time “in the trenches” as a way to serve the Lord I would encourage you to keep this little prayer in mind:

Lord Jesus Christ please grant me the grace to unite my everyday moments to You.

As we emerge from the other side of sleepless nights and endless loads of laundry, I wanted to share some of the ways my family supports anyone struggling with a stomach bug.

When dealing with bugs like this, there are three key areas I try to focus on: Hydration, rest, and replenishment.

Hydration

With a stomach bug, littles can easily loose a lot of water due to either loose stools or persistent vomiting. And trying to get them to drink too much water at once can often just upset their already tender tummies. This can sometimes exasperate dehydration rather than help it. With that, there are a few ways to mitigate loss of fluids during a bad bought of stomach sickness.

My first suggestion is to focus on bland foods that are not dehydrating to the body. If your child is interested in eating provide rice or fresh breads. If they can tolerate it, adding high quality butter is a great way to improve nutritional quality of a meal. Broths and light soups are also a great way to provide some hydration and soothe an upset belly. My children particularly love my home-made chicken soup. The bonus here is saving the bones and cooking up some broth!

If your little one is suffering from diarrhea, focusing on freshly milled baked goods can make a huge difference and speed up recovery. The balance of fiber and starch in freshly milled grains is perfect for helping to clear up loose or watery stool. And, its a gentle cleanser for the gut. And as if that weren’t good enough, freshly milled grains provide the perfect fuel for beneficial bacteria to thrive in the gut. With more support, those good bugs can help prevent overgrowth of bad bacteria and can help the body heal from the damages of sickness.

Finally, provide your child with high quality electrolytes, alternating with fresh, room temperature or warm water. Most electrolytes sold in stores are full of additives and extra sugar. You can find recipes all over the internet for making your own electrolytes at home, but I use a blend from Biotics Research called Electrolyte Forte. It is super high quality with no extra junk and I love it for myself on days when I’m feeling under-hydrated as well. If you’re kids are picky about the taste or texture of the blend, try mixing it with a low-sugar fruit juice.

Rest

This is probably self explanatory, but if you have extremely active children like I do, you will know that encouraging a child to rest is easier said than done.

If your child is small enough, giving them extra long nap times, putting them to bed early and letting them wake up later will likely work just fine. The younger of my two children has been quick to nap and fall asleep while her little body worked through this illness. My 3-year-old was a different story.

He refused to nap at home, so my only option to get him to sleep was driving around in the car until he nodded off. However, this logistically didn’t always work. So, I’ve tried the gamut of ways to get him to rest. Reading stories or listening to audio books are great ways to encourage an active toddler to wind down. If they are amenable, riding in the stroller is a great option, too. And you’ll get fresh air and sunshine as an added bonus.

For both of my children, however, bath time is a great way to get them to slow down and relax for a while. Water is therapeutic in its own right, but during times of illness, I like to draw a detox bath for an extra kick. Here’s the recipe I like to use:

Simple Detox Bath

• 1/2 Cup Unscented Epsom Salts
• 1/2 Cup Bentonite Clay
• 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Draw the bath with the warmest water your children will tolerate and mix the detox formula thoroughly. For children with sensitive skin, you may want to decrease the apple cider vinegar and bentonite clay. Allow the children to soak for at least 15 minutes. After the bath, focus on hydration.

Replenishment

Once you are out of the woods, replenishing the gut is key. Provide your child with quality probiotics like kefir, yogurt, and fermented vegetables. My kids particularly love kefir blended with a handful of frozen berries. Bone broths or meat stocks and low sugar, freshly milled breads are two additional ways to help support your little one’s recovery from a bought of stomach sickness.

Final Words

I hope you found these suggestions helpful. God made our bodies with the ability to heal themselves, which I find absolutely incredible. But as a mother, I have a hard time sitting back while my children are suffering. I learn to trust my children’s ability to heal and recover, I am also trying to learn more ways to support them in the process and real food is a wonderful way to do that.

God Bless You! And St. Nicholas, Patron of Sick Children, Pray for Us!

-McKenna