I'm alive!
For the first time ever, all 4 of us were hit with what I can only assume was the worst flu in the history of flu's. Okay, I'm exaggerating of course! The way it works usually is that one child gets sick and then one by one, the rest of us. I'm usually the last one, but at least I can rest because every one else is on the mend by the time I get sick.
This time however, everyone got it. All at the same time. Ugh. No resting for this mama. That being said, I went to work to get down those fevers, including mine. Here's what worked for me and my kids:
1. Cool clothing. This required putting my kids in shorts and short-sleeved shirts, yes, even in below zero weather(but don't worry, they didn't go outside). At times, I did give them a small thin blanket to cuddle with but nothing heavy.
2. Cool outside the body. With that, throughout the day, I wiped their bodies with a cool (not cold) cloth. If they could stand it, I left a cool cloth resting on their heads as they lay down.
3. Cool inside the body. To also keep cool, they sipped on cold juice or water throughout the day. Popsicles are also great...if your kids are old enough of course to have one. Overall the fluids are essential to battling either flu or cold. So win-win! Kids love drinking out of straws, so as a bonus they got to drink out of straws while they were sick. (We usually save straws for special stuff, like smoothies).
4. Medicine. I don't like to use medicine unless it's absolutely necessary. Usually I can kick a fever within 24 hours. This time, not so lucky. Fortunately we were lucky to find this medicine that's great for the entire family (ages 2 and up). And it actually tastes good! It really does what it says. I was able to battle my flu much faster, so I can focus on my kids. It kicked the fever for one of my kids and is helping keep the coughing at bay. (I usually get a really bad cough).
5. Rest. This one is pretty obvious, but kids don't usually like to actually sit and rest. This time though, the fever was enough to knock them off their feet for a few days. It was very hard to get them to sit up at times. But we tried to make it fun by watching movies (thank goodness for Netflix!) with their favourite pillow and cuddle buddies. They even napped thankfully in between.
Two weeks later, we have the lingering cough but definitely leaving the worst of it behind finally. We don't usually get sick, but when it does - look out!
Hopefully these tips I learned help you be prepared to tackle the fevers when they come.
You've got this mama!
*Disclaimer - I'm not a doctor, these are just things that worked for me and my family. If your child has developed a fever of 40 degrees celsius, please take them in to see the doctor asap. Or if you're not sure what to do, take them into the doctor anyway to get checked out and don't feel bad about it. Always follow your mom gut!