Celebrating 60 years of Calpol. Share your funniest "they're definitely better now" parenting moment to win £200

[LibbyMumsnet]

Every parent knows the moment. One day your child is curled up on the sofa wanting cuddles, and the next they're bouncing off the furniture, covering the walls in stickers or asking for snacks every five minutes. It's chaotic... but it's also a pretty good sign they're feeling more like themselves again.

As Calpol* celebrates 60 years of helping kids feel better, we'd love to hear your funniest "they're definitely better now" moment. What did your child do that made you realise they were well and truly back to their usual self?

We'll be picking one Mumsnetter at random to receive a £200 Boots voucher as a thank you for taking part (T&Cs apply). To enter the prize draw, simply post on this thread by Wednesday 26th August 2026.

To mark Calpol's 60th birthday, we're also running a competition where 60 Mumsnetters can each win a £60 Boots voucher. You can enter here. (Mumsnet T&Cs apply. This competition is open to UK residents aged 18+ years only. Competition closes at 23:59 on 1 September 2026. 60 vouchers available to be won. 1 entry per person.)

*CALPOL® Sugar Free Infant Suspension for infants 2 months+ (weighing over 4kg & not premature). Contains paracetamol. For pain and fever. Always read the label.

What's your funniest "they're definitely better now" parenting moment?

I gave them calpol and left them poorly on the sofa with their duvet and a disney DVD all heavy eyed. Came back into the room to find the DVD had been removed and their untouched sandwich poking out of the slot instead😂

Not being able to sit still - when I have a mini whirlwind I know the calpol has worked.

Phone call from school to ask if they can give her Calpol (they have a policy and I've read and signed it) as she's got a headache and feels rotten. I said I'd come and get her if she still felt unwell but didn't get a call. Pick up time 2 hours later, she's running around the playground wildly with a bucket on her head. I think the Calpol did it's trick!

My 4-year-old was poorly and unusually quiet, so I knew they were definitely better when they were back to their old tricks — sneaking into the kitchen, emptying the snack cupboard and proudly covering the sofa in stickers. Nothing says “fully recovered” quite like a fresh crime scene!

It was Christmas Eve and my DD was two, she had croup and it was awful. Gasping for breath and that awful coughing sound. Administered calpol, the fever settled but the coughing continued.

I called an ambulance and we were strapped in, followed by H in the car. One of the scariest moments of my life. Made it to A&E where she was given some oxygen.

10 minutes later, she’s bouncing on the bed singing Christmas carols with the nurses. I think the calpol kicked in! Thankfully she’s grown out of it.

My youngest had a pretty bad asthma flare up when he was about 4 and was in hospital for a couple of days while they tried to get on top of it. He was weak, lethargic, quiet and didn’t talk to anyone for all that time. Eventually they gave him an IV Corticosteroid Injection, they set it up, said it will take half an hour or so and then left. 20 mins later he opened his eyes, said “Hi Mummy, I feel better, have you got any snacks and was back to the funny, loud, crazy kid we knew him to be. When the Dr came back in she actually checked her notes/his name as she couldn’t believe it was the same boy!

I can always tell when my son is feeling poorly as he gets really snuggly & just wants to cuddle up. When he's feeling better - my loving arms are cast aside as he goes back to tearing around, playing football & jumping on the furniture!

I knew my four-year-old was feeling better when they started negotiating bedtime like a barrister, demanded a snack five minutes after dinner and somehow found the energy to redecorate the sofa with toys and cushions. Normal service had definitely resumed!

wanting to go to the park to play and swing

My four year old had measles quite badly in the seventies, darkened room and GP home visit, the lot. I knew he was feeling better when his older brother complained that he was firing his water pistol at him.
(We lived in a rural doer upper and at the time we had only a downstairs loo, so I had brought a potty upstairs for him. There was no water laid on upstairs…)

Showing an interest in things and being slightly argumentative and questioning means that I can tell he's feeling better.

In the one of the many heatwaves this year I was called by school to collect my 5 year old who wasn’t well. As soon as we got in the car he announced he was getting in the paddling pool as soon as he got home 🤣

My 11 year old daughter has just got quite upset as she thought she’d been having “cowpol” all these years. We’re farmers and I think she thought we were giving her cow medicine to make her better! Clearly never read the bottle!!!

When she was about 18 months old, she was taken to A&E after banging her head and being very unsettled afterwards.

While we were waiting in a cubicle for the doctor, she perked up and wanted to wander around. She was told she could play with the toys in the cubicle but couldn't go outside it. She chose a toy bus to play with, then every so often, she would accidentally-on-purpose give the bus a shove out of the cubicle and round the corner, then dash out after it. We knew then that she was back to her normal self!

When it went quiet, I had a lovely smell wafting down from upstairs - DS1 was happily cleaning my bedroom window by spraying and wiping it with my Dior perfume ! 😳 I knew all was well from a recent ear infection, and half a bottle of Dior gone forever.

Singing again - mine love to sing all the time - it was so quiet when they got a fever and flu like symptoms this spring.

Me making myself a plate of food only for it to be demolished by my son. Yeah, he’s definitely better now 💪🏻

After spending two days curled up on the sofa feeling poorly, my child suddenly jumped up, started dancing around the living room and asked for snacks three times in ten minutes. That was the moment I knew they were definitely better!

Toddler had been poorly and off her food all day. The next morning she refused breakfast, so I was starting to worry she still felt awful. Then I found her crouched behind the sofa silently eating a piece of toast she’d retrieved from under the highchair from the night before.
Ah. Definitely better. 😂

Deciding they’ve had enough tv for the day!

I knew the Calpol bounce-back had kicked in when they went from refusing all food to asking for snacks every 10 minutes. Then I changed the bedding and found biscuit crumbs everywhere and three half-eaten biscuits hidden under the duvet. Apparently they’d recovered enough to start secretly stockpiling snacks again!

You know they are better when they start to be restless and bored and talk about their siblings having all the fun with friends at school!

Saying they feel poorly but then suddenly have a miraculous recovery when chocolate or ice cream is available!

My son had a terrible ear infection and was inconsolable. Within 2 hours of the first dose of antibiotics plus a top up dose of Calpol, he was running around with a hanky on his head and gloves on his feet 🫠 (he always was a bit odd. The oddness returning was very reassuring).

My son when he was around 3 decided to colour himself in biro when i thought he was resting under the blanket but gladly he felt so much better! It was there for days!