Remember Murphy's Law? "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." It's pessimistic, but every once in a while it reminds me to plan ahead. If there were a Murphy's Law about the swine flu, I imagine it would say something like, "Your kids will get sick with the swine flu at the worst possible time." The one day you absolutely can not take off from work, or the morning of a field trip your kids had been looking forward to for weeks. Regardless of whether it happens at "the worst possible time," or just any old time, getting the swine flu, the seasonal flu, or even just a bad cold is sure to be inconvenient for you and for your kids. With that in mind, here are some tips to make sure you're prepared:
- Have a plan in place for taking care of your kids in the event that they become ill and you can not take time off from work. Will they go with a grandparent? Will they stay with a neighbor? Make arrangements now so that you don't have to scramble in the event that they wake up with a fever on the "worst possible day."
- Keep children's fever-reducing medicine, such as Motril, Advil, or Tylenol, on hand.
- Know where your thermometer is.
- Wash your hands frequently, or use hand sanitizer.
- Keep a stash of fun stuff on hand in case you need some low-key entertainment, such as coloring books, children's magazines, and play-doh.
- Keep your kids home from school at the first sign of symptoms, such as a fever, cough, or sore throat.
If your kids do become ill:
- Prepare a jug of water or tea mixed with grapefruit juice. Set goals for how much you want your kids to consume before lunch, by 3:00 pm, by dinner, and by bedtime.
- Teach your kids how to avoid spreading germs to one another. For example, if they're watching TV together, suggest that they sit on separate couches or chairs, rather than sitting together while one of them is contagious.
- Use a disinfectant spray to kill germs on surfaces, such as the toilet, the phone, doorknobs, and the remote control.
- Wash your children's bedding in hot water.
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