The Family Flu has struck again!
 Caution: this is a rather nausious topic, proceed with care...
I hate it when the kids are sick. There is nothing more pitiful than the voice that whispers in the dark, "Mom, I puked." (how come they never say, "Dad, I puked"? Hmmmm) And that queasy feeling that you had been fighting off all day suddenly takes on new meaning. There is not much more you can do than try to make your little one feel comfortable and hope that they will be "the one puke wonder".
The Universal Laws of the Family Flu
- The family that lives together, flus together.
- The first puke comes totally unexpected. Chances are chili, milk, and strawberry ice cream were served at supper.
- Puking which occurs in bed will spread throughout each blanket, both sheets, the pillow, and the teddy bear. The exception to this law is: if the child sleeps on the top bunk, the puke will land all over the ladder and the carpet.
- Yes, it is possible to direct a puking child to the bathroom, clean them up, make up a temporary bed in the family room (using easy to wash towels and a thin blanket), strip the messed up bed, start a load of laundry, and steam clean the carpet at 3:00 in the morning - WITHOUT waking your husband up!
- When the flu has run through everyone else and they are feeling better - it is your turn!
Surviving the Family Flu
- Remember, you are not alone. On that very night you are cleaning up chunks, take solace in the fact that someplace in the world, another mom is doing exactly the same thing as you. Say hello to her. And yes, dads clean up chunks too, say hello to them as well.
- Take care of your child first. If your child needs medical attention, do that right away. If they just need a bath, make sure you watch them the entire time they are in the tub. Get them into some clean clothes and set them up in front of the TV with a kid show and a "puke bucket" (more on the puke bucket later). Now I know why there are still cartoons on TV at 3:00 in the morning!
- Take care of the puke next. Trust me on this one, you do not want to wait until later! Use old towels to wipe up the mess. Run a load of laundry with the soiled sheets, clothes, towels, etc. You do not want to deal with the smell the next day. Yick.
- Take care of the carpets. I have a steam cleaner. This workhorse of a machine has cleaned up more puke off the carpets than I care to admit. Remember to empty the steam cleaner when you are done. This is also something you do not want to deal with the next day (don't ask me how I know this).
- Keep an eye on your little one. This will not be the first puking session, nor the last. Contact your doctor if you have any questions.
The famous "PUKING BUCKET"
Every once in awhile us mothers have one of those great ideas that makes life sooooo much simpler. For whatever reason, my children could never make it to the bathroom when they had to puke. It always ended up on the floor or in the bed. Then I had the brainstorm.
"TWO BUCKS if you hit the toilet or the puking bucket."
So my little one (who is an entrepreneur in the making) isn't feeling too well at bedtime, and brings the puke bucket (an old ice cream pail) up into the bunk bed. Later that night, the inevitable happens. Instead of the pitiful voice that whispered "Mom, I puked", I heard, "Mom, you owe me two bucks" and she brought the evidence with her! Let's just say, I will pay anyone two dollars not to have to haul out the steam cleaner!
Remember: I am not a medical expert. There are plenty of excellent health websites out there. Check them out if you need more information about how to deal with the flu and your family. Call your doctor if you have any questions.
Take care of you,
Cindy
|
