Sick kids

The Little Big Fella didn't sleep so well the last two nights.  Yesterday morning he woke up sounding like a frog when he spoke and his nose suddenly started running like a tap.  After his day nap today he woke up with a "sore nose".


There's two parts to horrible when your kids are sick.


Part 1.  Watching them feeling awful and not being able to do much about it.


I'm pretty sure every parent knows all about this one.  From the first time they throw up and cry because they don't know what's going on (and why you don't want to cuddle them close in the middle of it), to watching them struggling to breathe because they haven't learned how to blow their nose yet.  And because they're kids, there's not an awful lot you can do most of the time.  It sucks!


Part 2.  The selfish, missing out on stuff part for the parent.


When the Little Big Fella is sick I don't take him out of the house, or let him be around the neighbourhood kids.  He doesn't go to day care or playgroup or swimming classes.  I don't want to pass germs around and make others suffer.


Not going out sucks for him, but it also sucks for me!  I don't get to see my friends, or get a break at all!  I can't just take him to the park to run off some energy, or drop in on someone to entertain ourselves for an hour (because we're both going nuts at home after a couple of days).  It takes full-time parenting to a whole new level!


And of course, they're generally cranky and clingy when they're sick, which can be quite draining as a parent.  And don't forget that because they're sick, they don't want to do anything, but they get sick of watching TV and movies, and they're too young to read.


I'm sure some people would read this and be shocked at how selfish and uncaring this makes me sound.  And I know that on the scale of things having a kid with a cold, or throwing up is really not a big deal!  But I guess it's just that it throws everything in to a spin and the combination of things just makes things really hard.


In the spirit of my happiness journey of 2012, I should probably look at these times as an opportunity to develop my relationship with my son, and to be creative in education and entertaining.  But not tonight.  Tonight I'm tired and I'm going to bed, because it'll probably only be a couple of hours before he wakes us up coughing.  And I'm going to need all the energy I can get to tackle another day tomorrow!

On that highly positive note, goodnight!  :-)