Are you one of those parents that checks to see if your sleeping child is breathing?  Do you feel silly sometimes, but nevertheless can’t stop yourself from just checking one more time before you turn out your own light? 

That’s me, and it’s even worse when they’re sick.  My kids aren’t babies anymore; one turns 6 this week, and one turns 13 next week.  The middle child is 11, and at the moment has a terrible sore throat.  She couldn’t even stay awake during reading time, which is unusual for her.  My little night owl was asleep by 10, on a Friday night. 

So, I put her to bed and came back down to finish some articles.  I had to force myself to keep my rear end in the chair in front of the computer because I was getting anxious just sitting here.  I feel kind of stupid; I mean, it’s a sore throat.  They’ve had a million of these between the three of them.  But whether it’s a mom thing, or whether I’m just overly anxious, I worry about stuff like this.  I’ve read too many articles where some innocuous symptom (a headache, a sore throat, etc) led to a person’s death.  And I’m a hypochondriac-by-proxy–I always see major illnesses in places where there are only minor ones.  I know I over-react.  Not every headache is a brain tumor.  Not every sore throat is an out-of-control deadly bacterial infection.  Not every bruise is leukemia.  In fact, almost none of them are.  But it’s still true that two years ago, a stomach ache was actually a burst appendix, and my middle child spent a week in the PICU.  So, I don’t know that I’m willing to talk myself too far out of my worry.

I’m not normally a hovering, over-protective sort of mom.  I usually insist that my kids attempt to fix their own problems before they ask for help, and they are required to do everything they are able to do for themselves.  But when it comes to them being sick, I worry a lot… too much, maybe.  I try to hide it, of course, because my anxiety makes them more anxious.  So, just now when I went to check on my sickie, I didn’t wake her up to make sure she hadn’t slipped into a coma.  I just nudged her a little to make sure she was still breathing.

I’ve been sick for the past few days and I really hate it. Everytime I have colds I easily get irritated (who doesn’t?), so what more with your little one? I know that everytime your child gets sick, you get so paranoid. Initial reaction would be bringing her to the hospital and going to your pediatrician. But the next time your child encounters a minor ache or injury, home remedies are often the best way to make her feel better. I love home remedies because basically you spend less and you can find all these smart solutions throughout your house.

• Sore throat – According to Lane Johnson, MD, associate professor of clinical family and community medicine at the University of Arizona college, a spoonful of Honey eased your child’s cough. Actually they found out that it’s better than a cough medicine. This home remedy is not applicable for babies under 1 year.
• Bug bites – You can use baking soda to lessen the itchy feeling that your child is complaining about. Just mix baking soda and enough water to make a thick paste and smear it on the bites and let it dry.
• Stress – Oh yes, your child can feel stress too! So for her to be able to relax and breathe properly, allow her to slowly, blow long bubbles from a soapy wand.
• Tummy problems (Vomiting)-  Ginger stops the stomach contractions. Boil the ginger and then let it steep for 4 to 5 minutes. You can add honey to make it taste better. Let your child drink it 1 hour before your car trip.
• Minor Swelling – You can use a cold slice of cucumber to soothe hot swollen skin.You can use this if there’s a minor swelling only other than that, go to your pediatrician.

Great recommended reads from around our network?

Parenting during tough times

Quitting the binky

Mom and eight babies doing well

Nick Jonas has Type 1 Diabetes

Doctors really don’t know what causes Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes. Research is being done to explore both genetics and environmental triggers, but many kids who are diagnosed with diabetes have no family history of it at all.

Diabetes is manageable; kids who have this condition can live normal, active lives if they pay close attention to treating their condition. Diabetes can’t be cured, but its effects can be minimized. If your child doesn’t do this conscientiously, he or she might develop several undesirable complications. These can include:

• Neuropathy. This is nerve damage. It commonly causes problems in the legs, but it can also affect other systems in the body as well.

• Retinopathy. Diabetes can cause damage to the eyes, including causing blindness.

• Nephropathy. Nephropathy is kidney disease. Weak kidneys allow toxins to build up in the body and make a child sick.

• Heart Disease. Heart disease is more common to diabetics than non-diabetics. It can lead to other complications such as stroke, embolism, or heart attack.

So how do you know if your child has diabetes? There are some symptoms that all parents should be on the lookout for:

• Excessive thirst. Is your child constantly asking for something to drink?

• Frequent urination. If you find yourself saying, “Are you in the bathroom again?”…pay attention!

• Drowsiness or lethargy. They fall asleep over their homework, or they just can’t get the energy to do things they used to enjoy. If you’ve tried adjusting your child’s bedtime and it isn’t helping, bring this to your doctor’s attention.

• Sugar in urine. Obviously your doctor will have to test this, but it’s a pretty significant indicator.

• Sudden vision changes. The cells in the eyes are being attacked by the immune system, so vision decreases fairly quickly.

• Increased appetite. Are they suddenly hungry all the time, and can’t seem to get enough? They could be going through a growth spurt, as all kids do…but it could be diabetes.

• Sudden weight loss. None of that food is being processed like it should be. Instead of gaining weight, they might lose weight very quickly.

• Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath. The imbalance of sugar and insulin in the blood can come out in strange ways, including very sweet breath.

• Heavy, labored breathing. Your child might find it hard to catch his or her breath, even if they aren’t doing anything strenuous.

• Stupor, unconsciousness. If diabetes goes too long without being diagnosed, it can cause kids to faint or, in extreme cases, fall into a coma.

Taken alone, most of these symptoms seem harmless, but together, they could indicate the presence of Type 1 diabetes. Don’t be afraid to bring them up to your doctor; he or she can judge whether there’s anything to be concerned about. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely your child is to live a normal, active life.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• type 1 diabetes family history
• Type One Diabetes

I don’t know how things are in your neighborhood, but around here, we’ve got so many illnesses going around, I’m sometimes afraid to take the kids to the doctor, because who knows what else they could pick up?  

I count myself very lucky that our health care provider is also a neighbor and friend, so I often call on her informally, so that I know for sure whether a doctor or ER visit is strictly necessary.   Sometimes she’ll just give us informal advice, like “Tylenol and fluids,” and sometimes she’ll say, “Get her to the emergency room now!”

In our neck of the woods, there’s strep, flu, ear infections, and RSV going around.  The usual stuff, I guess, but that RSV is really scary.  There have also been a few meningitis deaths not far from here–another scary thing.

But I think the worst sometimes is that vague, undefined, “just not feeling well” thing they do.  My 6-year-old came home from school and crashed on the couch the other day, woke up long enough for dinner, then crashed again and slept through the night.  He was perfectly fine in the morning.  The girls do the same thing…headache or sore throat, but no other symptoms, no fever, nothing…and they usually manage to get through a school day just fine.

I sometimes think they’re doing it on purpose, just to give me one more thing to deal with, but then I remember that I sometimes feel that way, too–just tired, or icky, or off.  Not bad enough to skip work, but not well enough to really enjoy the day.  The difference is, kids still have someone to complain to–sometone who could possibly make it better, even if all we do is get them a couple of Tylenol.

Phot Courtesy of Paul Turke

So, you’re going to be a dad. Your wife or girlfriend is pregnant, and it was your little guys that crossed the finish line. Take a deep breath and believe what I’m about to tell you: This is good news. Sure, maybe you’re a little terrified. Understandable. This is a life-long deal, and that’s always scary. And things will change—you bet they will. But babies somehow have a way of making that okay. Not perfect, not uncomplicated, but worth the cost.

This post is not about how to be a great dad (you’re not quite there yet). You still have to get through a pregnancy. There are few things in life that will affect you more than this, and few things you have such little control over. You are support staff, but your job is vital. Women can and do go through this alone, but it’s always better when someone is at your side.

Here are a few tips on how to handle your lady’s pregnancy.  First, we’ll talk about what to do for her, and next time we’ll focus more on you, the daddy.

What to do for her:

• Be happy. Maybe you planned this pregnancy, maybe you didn’t, but she is desperately worried that you’re going to be unhappy about it. Reassure her. Now, in all truth, you may have very mixed feelings about this, and there will be a time to talk about those. But just now, when she first tells you, be happy.
• Participate. If she wants you to read an article about fetal development, read it. Maybe you could even track down some articles yourself. Go with her to doctor appointments—maybe not all of them, but a few. Especially go with her to the ultrasound and share that first view of your baby. Learn all you can about baby care; it’s not just the mom’s job!
• Pamper and protect. Go out of your way to take some extra care of her, but don’t treat her like an invalid. Pregnancy is not a sickness. Don’t get exasperated if she needs something strange or inconvenient, or if she’s in a crabby mood from time to time. You don’t have to let her walk all over you, but she has huge amounts of hormones rushing through her bloodstream—cut her some slack.
• Talk it out. You can share your worries and fears… in fact, she might be waiting for you to do that before she shares hers. Anxiety is normal—will you be able to afford this? Will you be any good at it? Will she still have time for you once the baby is born? Will you still have an important role in the family once it’s mommy-and-baby? Let her know you’re thinking these things.