He woke up about 4 A.M. this morning and told me he had 'the sickies.'
My happy-go-lucky five-year-old has been feverish, achy and sad most of the day. So has his mommy.
{Le Sigh.}
I guess it is to be expected, after all these 5 year old kids are hanging out in the bathrooms (eek) and then sharing everything from food to crayons with I-can-bet-just-about-anything-you-want hands that were not washed since they left home that morning.
Anyhoo, since my little guy is sleeping at the moment, I thought I would share these 'reminders' from Parents.com of things you can do to try and help your little one when they are dealing with a cold or flu:
- To loosen mucus, have your child sit in a steaming bathroom, keep a steam vaporizer or cool-mist humidifier on in his room, and keep plenty of tissues on hand for nose-blowing.
- For a cough or sore throat, honey (half a teaspoon for ages 2 to 5, 1 teaspoon for ages 6 to 11 and 2 teaspoons for ages 12 and up) can be soothing, as can cold fruit smoothies, ice pops, or a warm bowl of chicken soup. A mentholated vapor chest rub, such as Vick's, can also help kids 2 and up.
- If your child has a fever of 103ºF or high, call the pediatrician. For a mild fever, a tepid bath and dressing in light layers can offer relief.
- For diarrhea and vomiting, be sure to offer rehydrating drinks like Pedialyte or Gatorade, and small portions of bland foods like rice, For diarrhea and vomiting noodles, or toast. Call the pediatrician immediately if there is blood or bile in the vomit, or blood in the diarrhea.
- Acetaminophen is approved in children younger than 6 months, but consult your MD. For kids 6 and up, ask your doctor to recommend an over-the-counter cough or cold medicine, and give doses according to directions.
- A mentholated vapor rub, such as Vicks, can help soothe coughing in kids over 2, but it can irritate airways and increase mucus in kids under two. Do not give your children aspirin as it has been linked with Reye's syndrome.
Remember to call the pediatrician if:
Your child's cold or flu doesn't go away within a week
Your child has a high fever (103ºF degrees or higher)
Your child is vomiting or has diarrhea for more than a few hours, or if there is blood or bile in the vomit or blood in the diarrhea
Your child has difficulty breathing, or the lips or nails turn blue
Your child complains of ear pain
Your child seems unusually lethargic, sleepy or cranky
And my
I ask because I have not gotten the shot, nor have my kids, and I am really wondering if we should this season. If this weekend is any indication, we may be in for a long flu season around our house.
Eek.