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January 17, 2006
A mom's advice on breaking the sick cycle
Flu. 'Tis the season. I've gotten emails about it. Listened to friends cope with it, with their spouses, their children. At work we haven't been at full staff since a week or so before Christmas.
Not that it's all flu. There's nasty colds, some bronchitis, hints at pneumonia. Sometimes the office sounds like a lung-ward for all the hacking and sneezing.
Last November, Mieke was almost at wits' end when it seemed her darling little boys would get over a cold just to start another one. I am going to offer here the advice I gave her.
First of all is to take care of yourself (and any kidlets) with good food and sufficient sleep. After that is to break the cycle of reinfection, and that means paying attention to surfaces. Think about everything you touch and how often (and unconsciously) you then touch your face. SO
- Wash and change bedding A LOT. Wash in hot or warm water with a bit of bleach and that includes washing PILLOWS (not just slips) blankets, comforters -- anything next to your face.
- Wash and disinfect all the kids' toys. OFTEN.
- Wash and disinfect all touchable surfaces -- door knobs, door jambs, light switches. I made a game with my girls when they were little called "Fingerprint Patrol". Saturdays I'd mixup a couple of plastic tubs of nice warm, soapy water and hand the little ones washcloths, dipped and wrung. Then they had to run all over the house washing off fingerprints (and consequently germs and viruses) off walls, doors, etc.
- Little kids are ALWAYS touching stuff then touching their faces and mouths. Fastest way of spreading colds and flu and reinfecting with the same. Soap and water and frequent washing of hands and surfaces goes a great way to breaking a chain of sicknesses. SOAP AND WATER, doesn't have to be any of the "anti-bacterial" soaps. Infact, there has been some question of late of their effectiveness.
(or is that a hot bed with a warm Tod??)
Posted by Darleen at January 17, 2006 09:39 PM
Comments
LOL @ your last sentence.
I'll have to google how to make a Hot Toddy again. It's tea with liquor, right? I'm not a big liquor person other than vodka, so I tend to worry that the liquor will give me a hangover headache. But Nyquil has alcohol too and tastes like Jagermeister, so same thing I guess.
Posted by: Marian at January 18, 2006 09:57 AM
They haven't really been sick since we did the "Darleen cleanse". We are forever thankful.
Posted by: Mieke at January 18, 2006 08:00 PM