I Found a 10-Second Hack for Cold Supplies When My Toddler & I Are Sick—& I Don’t Have to Leave the House
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My toddler started preschool a few weeks ago, and, as expected, the entire household has been battling colds, non-stop. I planned for this! I knew it would happen! I even stocked up on cold medicine knowing she would bring back preschool germs, and I still was unprepared for the absolute misery that is my kid’s rookie immune system vs. school.
Not only did Mila get me sick with a cold, but she got my husband sick, too. Obviously. We used up the cold med supply within days, and on Day Three I absolutely had to restock kid’s Tylenol, Mucinex for Mom and Dad, and some cough drops. But there was no way I was going to leave the house in my condition (runny nose, sore throat, achey bones and muscles, and a really icky mood).
Enter DoorDash. I’m a DoorDash user for easy dinner delivery on nights I cannot fathom chopping produce or defrosting a sad pizza, and I always forget that you can just as easily order supplies from your local pharmacy and get it in under an hour (I’ve been able to get a delivery in about twenty minutes where I live).
If you frequently get delivery like my family does, a DashPass subscription makes sense, and comes in handy for times like these: With DashPass, you pay $10 a month and get free delivery and reduced service fees for eligible orders that meet the subtotal minimum. Plus other perks, like discounted Lyft rides and 5 percent cash back on some orders. So, instead of schlepping to Target or CVS while feeling like a human snot rocket, I can just order what I need an pay the price I would pay at the retailer, in-store. But I get to stay on the couch with my kiddo watching Bluey. It’s a win-win for everyone, really.
I not only stock up on adult and kid’s Tylenol, Mucinex, Kleenex, throat-soothing tea, and cough drops, but I also order easy-to-eat basics like saltine crackers and canned soup. (You can also just order a comfort meal from your favorite restaurant—there is truly nothing a French onion soup with a side of crunchy baguette from Panera can’t fix. And my daughter loves their mac and cheese.)
I truly don’t know what I would do without this 10-second toddler sick day hack. I guess drive to Target or the pharmacy while feeling like on the brink of death and hoping I don’t get anyone else sick. If you, too, are in the throes of preschool illness (or just flu season—it ain’t over, yet), I salute you, parent comrade. We will get through this. But I will say, having a resource like DoorDash has made sick season so, so much more bearable.