Unlike your other full-time job, you can't really poke your head into your child's bedroom and let them know you'll be taking a sick day... though wouldn't that be nice? You're sick in bed, and instantly there are no messes to clean up, no tears to dry and no diapers to change. Too bad that isn't the case. If your spouse can stay home for the day to help out, that's obviously the second-best case scenario but if that's not a possibility, make your life as easy as possible with these tips:

Set up a sick zone

Muster the energy (or ask your darling spouse) to help you set up a sick zone. Grab tissues, a pot of tea, your phone charger, the television remote, medication, cough drops, snacks that will settle your stomach, etc. Put everything within your reach so you won't have to get out of bed a million times just to get another cough drop.

Play quiet games

Keep you kids occupied with one of these games they can play while you snooze or let them take a day at the "movie theater "in your very own living room. You can set up the movie in your own bedroom and nap, trusting your children to wake you up if they need anything.

Prep the fridge

I'm sure your lovely spouse can help you out with this one before they leave for the day. Take an empty muffin tin tray and fill it with kid-friendly snacks: unwrapped cheese sticks, pretzels, grapes, crackers, juice boxes and rolls of lunch meat to stash at a kid-friendly height in the fridge. Now your kiddos can get their own snacks without needing to concern mummy or daddy.

Charge the iPad

Download a few educational apps on your laptop or iPad and let your kids play a few games online while you watch and blow your stuffy nose.

Call in a favor

If all you need to recover is a quiet and empty house so you can get some rest, it is perfectly fine to call in a favor - you shouldn't be doing parenthood alone. Call grandma or grandpa, a cousin or a friend to come grab the kids for an afternoon. You can pay for a movie or a trip to the swimming pool if that would be easier.

It's also important to remember to let go of your to do list and your screen time ideal when you are ill - the most important thing is to get you feeling better so you can keep up with your kiddos. So, cash in a favor, ask your darling to help you out and stay home, and get plenty of sleep to get you back to your old self.