Sickies

There are three forms of kid sickness I’ve dealt with.

There’s the classic fever.  These are scary, but from a maintenance standpoint not too bad.  You have to watch to make sure it doesn’t get out of control, but for the most part it’s like a yo yo.  They are lethargic and tired, whiney and in “I feel sick” mode.  Then you give them some children’s ibuprofen, and about an hour later they’re jumping on the couch and wanting to go for a bike ride in 32 degree weather.  Fevers are not my favorite, but they are not the worst.

Second, there’s the stomach flu.  This is the worst in terms of maintenance.  Kids don’t control their throw up very well.  If you’ve got a kid sleeping at night, even with the “puke bowl” right next to them, dollars to doughnuts they’re just going to spew all over their pillow.  This is not fun.  The stomach flu is my least favorite illness.

The third is the mild cold.  This is fairly easy, but makes for cranky kids.  They aren’t knocked out enough to be manageable, but they’re uncomfortable enough to make it miserable on everyone else.  The problem with this one is they seem to happen like 4 times a year, and with more than one kid, that means you’re dealing with it half of the time, all the time.

Excuse me.  I’m going to go get a flu shot.