Help With Your Mother's Rule

Help With Your Mother's Rule is a forum for women who want trouble-shooting help with their Mother's Rules or about any aspect of the 5 Ps of the married vocation.

Ask Holly: This blog is composed of your questions. Contact me at the address listed on Holly's Helpers page and I will respond. Please share your unique ideas as well. The more ideas and experience we share, the more successful every mother will be in designing her own unique Mother's Rule.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Toddler Play Dates Lead to Ill Health...

Dear Holly,
Thank you so much for your website....it has been a huge help to me. However, I'm having one problem that I hope you can help with regarding the 2nd P. I have two young children under 2 years old. Over the past few months, we have had many more play dates and my oldest has been around more children. The problem is that she and I are constantly getting sick. She seems to get over her illnesses quite quickly, but they stay with me for at least a week or two. I have not had more than a two week stint of being well since January. Needless to say, this is very taxing on me and our family and I find I can never get on top of my rule as I am constantly getting sick. Everything gets behind and it takes me a week or two just to get back on track. I'm wondering if you have any advice or tips for staying healthy, especially during winter. I know I will get sick some, but the amount of times I have been sick seems unusually high. I am getting decent sleep at night, but I'm wondering if my diet isn't right or something like that? My pediatrician said this is just to be expected when you have little ones, but I can't imagine spending every winter like this. I have been to the doctor also and I know I don't have any auto-immune disorder or anything like that. Any advice would be helpful.
Posted by at 7:13 AM
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2 comments:

  1. Yes, this is a real dilemma.

    I would attack it on two fronts:

    First - where you go to play with the other families: When my kids were younger, I found it was the toys that they played with in group settings that were in and out of kids mouths that was a real problem. Just watch young kids play - the toys get positively gooey! Blech!

    Anyway - perhaps you could discuss this with the mothers in your group (if you have one) and arrange for a regular washing of any group toys - like if you meet at a parish moms group - every week, a different mom could take home toys to wash or bring some antibacterial gel to wipe them down. This could also apply to other moms you visit informally. Wiping down toys in your own home will also help, with or without company.

    Obviously keeping your and your toddler's hands clean are a must too. Carrying and using the antibacterial gel may be part of your solution. Use it immediately after a visit (and during) and/or wash the hands, so that you do not carry these germs home to your car or counter surfaces and own toys.

    Additionally, trying not to kiss an ill child on the lips, is possible, helps you. Kiss the forehead, cheek, etc.

    And where they kiss you - I used to have different spots on my face for my 5 different kids to kiss, so they did not pass along their germs with my face as the platform!! (I reserved my lips for Philip during flu times in our home!)

    One trick which really helped me, recommended by my doctor, made a big change - separate the toothbrushes. Get them out of a community pot and buy or make an aparatus that separates them. Give everyone their own spot and wash this aparatus weekly with an antibacterial cleaner. Additionally - I wash my toothbrushes in the dishwasher once a week in flu season. Silly sounding, but it really helped.

    Secondly - you also need to look into your own health. Yes, you need enough sleep, but you also need 2-3 glasses of milk a day, 2 servings of lean protein, 5-6 fruit and veggie servings, whole grain breads and pasta, and a daily multivitamin (at least) and some Omega 3 (essential fatty acid.) They also say Cod Liver Oil in the winter aids in fighting illness, as does a daily dose of Vitamin D help. Vitamin C is also good. If you ensure your own nutritional strength, you will go a long way to recovering faster.

    Additionally, you need to exercise.

    Lastly - hygiene in the home. Keeping the counters wiped, washing hands, and keeping wiped common surfaces all assist in minimizing germ transmission.

    I hope some of this helps.
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  2. I have another suggestion. If you have never tried it, the Neti Pot (or Sinus Rinse) could be very helpful to you. I wish I had known about it sooner in my life, as I have always picked up cold/sinus illness very easily, even with being very careful and clean. I learned about it when I was pregnant and couldn't take all the drugs anyway. I started using it shortly after getting sick, and the "cold" lasted only a week, and it was very mild, compared to what I have been used to. Normally, I've been quite sick for at least 2 weeks, and it's taken a month or so to clear up completely. Anyway, since then, I have used the Neti Pot regularly, especially when I feel a sickness coming on, and I have not gotten sick since. It's been about 6 months now, and I've "warded off" the bugs at least 3 times now, which is a total miracle for me, and quite a relief, too. I've become a regular walking "infomercial", but this has been a HUGE help to me, and several other people who gave it a try at my suggestion. I don't doubt I'll probably get sick sometime again in the future, but I'm happy with the extra health I've had since starting this. Oh, and the additional benefit has been the relief of the seasonal allergies for me, to the extent that I have not had to take any drugs. Previously, I had to take something every day. I don't know if you've already tried this, but if not, it is certainly easier and more pleasant than being sick all the time. The benefits to me have been immediate and obvious, and even more of a "sure thing" than anything else I've tried. I hope this helps you. Take care.
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