We had to battle the flu season before flu shots were common and being often without insurance we were not capable of going to the doctor . So we simply did what we could to prevent what would end up being sick kid after sick kid. As a homeschooling mom of eight children, over the years we had a lot of opportunities to watch out for the forbidden “flu bug”. I say “watch out” for because that is just what we did. At the slightest sound or sight of a runny nose or cough we would immediately quarantine the kids away from others.
If we thought we might have “caught” that forbidden bug, my husband would go to the store and buy the Lysol liquid disinfectant and the spray. Everything from the couch, beds, floors, counters, toys- whatever might harbor germs- was assaulted with disinfectant! We would put any plans on hold because we knew that if we insisted on going to church or friends houses we would spread the “forbidden bug” to other families.
When we knew for sure that we were “bugged” we would call our neighbors and let them know along with apologies for sharing our “bugs” with them. Vitamin C tablets were given to each of the kids, orange juice in large amounts and plenty of wiping down counters, door knobs and phones. I would also insist that the kids stayed indoors on cold days. With Prayers as our main defensive weapon it helped us to prepare for the worst if the fevers, vomiting, aches and pains became worse. We would hibernate and we made do by playing indoor games, bringing out the coloring books and reading.
Here are some great tips to prevent and get through the bug quickly…..
I. Don’t drink from other family members cups.
II. Wash all dishes in very hot water.
III. Don’t eat from others plates and don’t share food.
IV. Wash toys with Lysol.
V. Breastfeed babies as long as you can.
VI. Throw away tissues as soon as they are used.
VII. Keep sick children in the house away from the healthy ones.VIII. Keep neighbors with sick kids away from your kids.
IX. Break out the honey and lemons and plenty of liquids.
X. Limit sweets and yeasty breads.
XI. Rest, rest, rest!
These are some of my tips that I'm sure helped lessen the effects of the forbidden "flu bug". Hope they are helpful to all of you new moms and dads who are new at fighting this battle...here's to your health!
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”
