As I held the bucket to my eldest boys mouth at 1am the other morning I muttered I to myself I ain’t got time for this. No one ever does but the thing with illness in a family of small children it generally spreads from one to other faster than Justine Bieber can spit a dummy. However I have learnt a few things over the years on being sick, how to be prepared for it and deal with it easier especially when your flying solo.
- Always have the med basics of Phenergen, Nurofen and Panadol on hand (or equivalent). For babies, I used suppository Panadol (not nice but when they can’t keep it down it’s faster and more effective). Panadol is good for pain, Nurofen great for inflammation {not great for tummy bugs it inflams the tummy more} and Phenergan is great for everything from bee stings, nausea to helping kids sleep.
- Always have hydrolyte on hand. Always! Have the kids drink it or suck on it for dehydration. My kids love the frozen ones and I give them one if it’s been a really hot day. Use this instead of sports drinks and the old wives’ tale of flat lemonade. Buy them from a chemist.
- Buy a hospital 10ml syringe to squirt medicines down the throat in one go instead of numerous attempts with a 5ml syringe or spoon. You can get these at the chemist for about $1.50. Administer medicines only as directed and often by weight, not age.
- Have a sick kit ready like you have a first aid kit that includes towels, baby wipes, disinfectant wipes for wiping down hands, bacterial wipes, your meds and syringes and a stainless steel bowl. Keep it all in one spot keep the meds out of the reach of little hands, of course. I literally place it on a tray and have it in the room of the sick one.
- Make up the bed with a flannelette mattress protector and towels. Easy washing and the flannelette is better should they have high temps. It’s also less noisy than a plastic protector, which is annoying when you’re sick. Use towels over pillows and under bottoms.
- Prepare healthy frozen meals, because the last thing you want to do is cook for the other kids.
- Start yourself on Inner Health Plus or equivalent. It helps to ward off any bugs or shortens the illness time if you do get sick (a tip from my GP).
- Rest when they rest. My eldest vomits in his sleep, so I sleep little and it’s the only time I have learnt to rest and not feel guilty about it. I have to be well for them. If you have other children, ask friends or family to look after them, even just for a few short hours. I find it makes all the difference.
- Don’t stress about housework. As long as the ‘sick bay’ is clean that’s all you need to worry about.
- Allocate a sick room . My boys share a room so I literally set up the guest room with the bedside med kit, sick bowl and TV (we don’t have TVs in bedrooms except the guest room). This helps prevent transmission and better healing. I don’t isolate them common sense here but have the other kids use the bacterial wash on exiting etc. If its a baby then baby wear if you dont have a sling make one out of a sarong or sheet. Tied right they are just as safe as the $200 from the store.
- Always call a doctor if you are scared or unsure. I used to worry that people would think I was always taking my children to the GP, but now I just don’t fret about what anyone thinks. My children are still alive and that’s the main thing.
And enjoy them. I found the only true time they want me for me and not for food or to tell me about the latest lego set at Big W is when they are sick. When they are sick nothing but giving them cuddles and love is all that matters.
xxDeb
{image with thanks to here}
