Health & PE
Getting the Family Through Flu Season
Once in a while, despite our best efforts, someone in the family gets a flu bug. And Murphy's Law dictates that the day before the illness is discovered, the siblings will be more affectionate with each other than they have in weeks. So now you've got to deal with the fallout of a sick child or maybe a whole brood that's out of commission. Here are a few things we've learned to short-circuit the nastiness.
Have on hand: disposable plastic gloves (now available at the dollar store), disinfectant spray, ice pops, plastic bucket from ice cream, and extra toothbrushes. Set the bucket bedside, lined with grocery bags, for nausea/vomiting, and use the gloves whenever cleaning up the mess or cleaning up after the patient in the bathroom. Spray bathroom surfaces, light switches, door handles, and other commonly touched surfaces with the disinfectant to keep further spread of germs down. Put away toothbrushes instead of leaving them exposed in the bathroom, and when someone is over the tummy trouble, replace their brush with a new one. Remind your patient to sip liquids in small amounts. Too much at once can be a problem with the big D (i-a-r-r...).
If you're dealing with fevers, put a gallon zipper bag in the freezer with a few folded pillowcases inside it. Sounds crazy, but they come out really cool and refreshing!
This is also the time to be ''territorial.'' Do you have more than one bathroom? Bingo, they are now for ''healthy'' or ''sick''. As space allows, give each patient a ''zone'' to be in during their waking hours, to minimize infecting other family members. Get out those seldom-used TV trays for coloring, puzzles, whiteboard doodling, and other solitary pursuits. Play favorite books on tape using headphones while others do schoolwork. Rediscover library books!
Challenge your family members to become champion hand-washers, and remind them not to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth after contact with the patient without washing again.
Most importantly, don't skimp on rest. Both caregivers and patients need sleep to help their immune systems work effectively. And with rest and some smart daytime strategies, ''this too shall pass''. | | susie_r |
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He Who Knows Not
He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool.
Shun Him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a child.
Teach him.
He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep.
Wake him.
He who knows and knows that he knows is wise.
Listen to him.
- Persian Proverb | | cswbooks |
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