10 Essential Apps That Take the Guess Work Out of Illness

The next time your old standbys—chicken soup, decongestant and ginger ale—don't cut it on a sick day, download one of these.

By Kipp Jarecke-Cheng April 26, 2017

With the ever-increasing complexities of the healthcare system, the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings truer today than ever before. Caring for sick kids can be complicated, but a new batch of family-focused and user-friendly apps aims to help parents and caregivers provide appropriate health care with confidence. Flip through our slideshow of some of the most useful apps to help care for little patients.

Meditations for Kids

Sometimes the best medicine to treat a sick kid doesn’t come in the form of a pill or syrup, but instead can be found in warm hugs or finding some calm. For on-the-go kids who’ve been sidelined by a cold or worse, Meditations for Kids might be just what Dr. Mom or Dr. Dad ordered. Kids can find moments of Zen using this tranquil app, which offers 10 helpful meditations, including breathing relaxation, relieving worry and anxiety, and calming and centering exercises. While meditation doesn’t claim to be a panacea, developing a mindfulness practice at an early age has shown benefits such as reducing stress, increasing self-awareness and improving classroom behavior for kids.

Available for iOS, $0.99 and Android, $1.

What are your favorite apps to help manage your family’s health and wellness? Tell us in the comments below!

— Kipp Jarecke-Cheng