As I dropped my youngest off at daycare this morning, the teachers’ in the 18 month old ro… more
Posts Tagged ‘sick kids’
1
Somewhat Sick Somewhat Sucks
By Daddy Clay Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
One of the worst diseases that a kid can get is the 99.3 disease. Just a slight fever, maybe a little runny nose, maybe a little cough. The. Worst. Because this is just enough to keep the kid out of daycare, thereby casting two working parents into the my-meeting-is-more-important-than-your-meeting pit of hell. Then if you lose that argument (which I usually do and I can’t imagine why) you have to deal with a mostly healthy kid that wants to play and be entertained. If the kid has an honest to goodness flu, then he’s conked on the sofa and easy as pie to take care of. Hell, I’ll even bid on that. Work from home. Pat the sick kid’s head every once in a while. Cinch.
But the perfectly well sick kid will drive you nuts. He’s like regular, just extra grumpy. Doesn’t know exactly what he wants but he wants it this very damn instant. It demonstrates to me that I am not temperamentally suited to be a stay-at-home. My day of nursing a healthy kid did lead to one beatific moment — pushing my kiddo in the swing on a perfect spring day. Not many of those left.
Coop will be four next month. He can swing himself and asked for a push just to be social I think. But you fall into that rhythm swinging a kid. He started singing a madeup song about being a superhero, oblivious to me. He was faster than Flash, swinging like that, and it made Flash mad, he sang, but he didn’t care. Somebody please slow down time.
Sick Of Disney
By Daddy Clay Thursday, March 6th, 2008
For the next thirty-six hours we’ll take the kids’ temperatures on an hourly basis, and check glands between temperature checks. Ri-ri set off a brief panic last night when she informed us that her throat was scratchy. It turned out all right. She was only thirsty.
I wonder what it says about my personality that I am utterly convinced that my kids will get sick either immediately before or during our family vacation to Disney World next week. I also must be convinced that worrying about it, and checking for symptoms has an antibiotic effect.
I am more afraid of illness than I am of all the kitch and overpriced soft drinks that a huge corporate conglomerate can aim at me. Given the limited staffing and financial commitments already made, one nipper with a fever is seriously going to screw with my happiness, and the well-being of those around me.
Would you consider prophylactic medication in this very specific circumstance? In the days leading up to a pricey family vacation, would you duck into the doc in the box and try to begs some good meds? We didn’t go that far, though the thought did occur.
We’re off this weekend for the whole man-made, plastic-flocked and corn syrup-injected experience, and I have to say that I’m experiencing a dangerously low level of cynicism about the whole thing. I’m looking forward to this – for the kids mind you. Will I return home on a tidal wave of snarkyness – grossed out by what we have become as a culture, or will I disembark proudly sporting a Pluto-embossed golf shirt?
I’ve heard from a lot of haters, a lot of too-cool-for-ears types who would never darken the archways of the Magic Kingdom, but my question is: have any of these people been? Are there haters out there who have actually confronted the spun-sugar beast and come back swearing off the sweet stuff?
Are you telling me your kids never watched Cars?
My Experiment In Single Fatherhood Day 2
By Daddy Clay Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
If you have a sick child, it is very important not to turn a day off from school into a carnival atmosphere. Loads of coloring books, special movies, treats doled out to the sick child can obviously encourage malingering. So to avoid having a child that feigns illness or demands to stay home and the slightest stomach twinge, never, ever take him or her out to the mall to Build A Bear just to kill an hour.
I also think it’s fun, when I have the kids to myself, to prepare “theme meals.” These themes may involve international culinary styles, featured ingredients, or tableside preparation. The theme of last night’s meal “The Color of Obesity is Beige.”
On the Menu:
A mixed grill of corn dogs and chicken fingers
Mac and Cheese (Velveeta)
Cantalope
If my wife doesn’t come home soon, all the kids are going to look like Augustus Gloop.
Ri-ri took a turn for the better, so when Coop presented himself at 11 and said he didn’t feel well I almost lost it. I dosed him with Motrin and quickly put him to bed. When he woke up at 5 and wanted to talk about sharks and whales, I forgave him the moment I touched his nice cool forehead.
Ri-ri also passed the fever test so she was back at school, so, for the first time since mid-December of thereabouts, I headed into the Lab. Elated, ready for adult conversation and creative “me” time, I was greeted with the blaring sounds of Daddy Troy’s Wham Greatest Hits played at maximum volume.
Home Alone Except For Three Kids Day 1
By Daddy Clay Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
Day one was marked by a clear sense of unease, a nervousness just beneath the surface. I first picked up on this when I began dinner preparations. Coop, who usually busies himself with a puzzle in the living room while my wife cooks, pulled up a stool in the kitchen when I fired up the oven. Throughout the process he kept offering subtle encouragement. “That looks good, dad,” or “You’re a good cook, dad,” but I could tell he was judging me. Maybe monitoring my handling of the ground beef.
(Definitely a Dad menu: grilled cheeseburgers, curly fries, carrots/ranch, watermelon slices, and yogurt.)
Everything was going smoothly until Bubba’s ride to b-ball fell through, so I dragged the little ones out of the tub, threw on Pjs and hauled everybody into the cold. By the time we got back, Ri-ri was spiking a fever.
5:30 in the morning and Coop rolls up (usually he has to be pried out of bed) complaining of a stomach ache. Nice morning cortisol spike. He climbs into bed with me and for the next hour, says, very softly “tic,toc,tic,toc.” He survived.
Thanks goodness that by this morning Ri-ri was perky, delightful, and raring to get back to school. Too bad she has a 101 temp. Which made the school sendoff a little easier, but has cut down my productivity a bit.
So here I am for the third straight day, working from home. Is this what it feels like to be a mom – to be planning the dinner menu at 11am?
