After receiving several calls this week and not recognizing a single voice, I realized the cold season has started. Although we can try and prevent an epidemic in our respective families, there are never any guarantees. When those infectious bugs take over and produce an onslaught of sneezing, coughing and worse, all you can do as a mother is cope with it. Coping, however, is easy as long as it isn’t the mother who has the cold!
Preventive measures are only workable up to a certain point. All it takes is one damp sneeze in the face from a baby or toddler to put a mother on the sick list. When the germs merge and conquer our immune system, we have to think of ways to take care of ourselves, other sick family members and the day-to-day management of the home and meals.
Before you become bedridden (or would like to be!), beg, borrow or acquire every junky, cartoon video your children have been clamoring for over the year. You know the videos are non-productive and brain numbing. If you are sick, you need to have the children mentally anaesthetized for at least a portion of the day.
Make sure you stock up on crackers and teach one of the older children how to vacuum after every serving.
It is also a good idea to change the message on the telephone answering machine to “Hello . . . I’m currently dying. If you are interested in the details, please leave your name, number and favorite brand of cold medication. My germs are your germs!" If anyone is ambulatory during the cold and flu season, this message should guarantee they refrain from leaving a message or even think about dropping by for a visit.
Save the pizza coupons! Dinner always seems to be a necessity even in cases of the flu.
Take to heart the warning labels on your medication. Don’t operate machinery! To my mind, this should include ovens, washers, dryers, irons and microwaves. You are important to you family so don’t take unnecessary chances.
Experience has shown us that the children never come down with illness at the same time although they do like to overlap. Set up a chalkboard with names of afflicted persons, medication being given and last time it was administered. When in doubt, pass out cough drops and popsicles.
And to make all the trips to the doctor worthwhile and to cover the expense of medication, buy stock in the tissue and cold medication companies. The way we are going through the stuff at our house, the market is sure to go sky high!
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