Last Updated on January 1, 2021 by HodgePodgeDays
Urgh! Why is it that as soon as the kids go back to school, everyone starts getting ill. There are runny noses, coughs, and sneezes everywhere at this time of year! I know it’s probably because they are mixing with people that they haven’t seen for ages, and so spreading those lovely germs, but it’s such a pain. Especially, if you have chronic health conditions that make you even more susceptible to these sorts of things. So, when we inevitably find ourselves in this position what can we do? Read on to find out.
Get it checked out
Number one on the list of things to do is to get the illness checked out. Although, if you have happened to venture into the doctor’s surgery at this time of year you will know that getting an appointment is akin to finding a hen’s tooth.
To help with this, there are other options though. You can use an online Dr app instead to get the kids check out by a medical professional. Saving you the bother of trying to get them in for an appointment at the local surgery. Something else that is helpful is asking to see the nurse instead of a doctor. As they can prescribe for basic ailments and get the doctor in if they think it’s something more serious. Helping the kids get seen as quickly as possible.
Rest and recuperate
Yes, I know it’s the beginning of the term, and you don’t want your little one to be missing out on any of the work, or all that play and socialising, but if they are ill, then the best thing for them is a bit of R&R.
That means keeping them at home, allowing them to sleep and do other quiet and restful activity like watching films or colouring. It also means filling them full of liquids to ensure that they are well hydrated, and holding off sending them back to school until they are feeling better. Doing this also helps stop the spread of infection to other kids as well, so everybody wins.
Preventative measures
Lastly, there are some things that you can do to help minimise the risk of your child getting sick in the first place when they go back to school. These include building up their natural immune systems with vitamins, so they are in the best position to fight off any infection they do come into contact with.
It can also help to remind them to wash their hands before they eat at school, as you are not there to make sure they do this. Although, I’m not sure about giving them antibacterial gel. As I think this can blow the problem out of proportion and make them more nervous about getting ill than they need to be.
After all being ill is a part of life. We might not like it much. Especially when it’s out little ones that are sick, and there isn’t much we can do apart from making them comfortable and letting it work its way through their system. But at the end of the day, it’s just a struggle that needs to be faced, sometimes.
This is a contributed post.