The Mom Crowd

Recently, I have found myself becoming a “paranoid parent” with regard to my children’s health.  All the constant flooding of the news about the Swine Flu or H1N1 Flu has really got me worried.  It is especially worrisome to me because our son, who has Type 1 Diabetes, is at a greater risk of complications should he contract one of these viruses. 

So, last night, I sat down and had a long talk with God.  There are only so many things we as parents can do to protect our children, from the flu or anything for that matter, and I really needed to get my thoughts into perspective.  After my prayer time, I felt much more at peace and decided that I would be proactive and do what I could, but also have to trust God for His protection.

Here are some things you can do to help protect your kids from the seasonal flu and H1N1:

Wash Your Hands – We all know the importance of washing our hands to prevent spreading illness.  The Centers for Disease Control emphasize washing with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol based hand-sanitizers are also a great weapon in the flu fight!

Avoid Touching Your Eyes and Mouth – Your eyes and mouth are great germ transmitters, so avoid biting your fingernails or playing with your eyelashes!

Cough or Sneeze Into Tissue – Coughing or sneezing into a tissue and throwing it away is the best way to get rid of your germs.  Make sure to wash your hands afterward.  If a tissue is not readily available, it is suggested that you cough or sneeze into your sleeve and NOT your hand.

Avoid Sick People – This seems like an easy one, right?  But reality is that we are exposed to sick people everyday at the grocery store, post office, or even at church.  Encourage your friends NOT to bring their kids over even if they “just have a runny nose, but no fever”.  Also, if one of your children gets sick, try to keep the others from playing with them until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours.

Sanitize Your Toys – I am guilty of not doing this as often as I should, but it’s great practice to take out the toys and sanitize them often, especially after a child is ill.  This will help prevent the spreading of “old germs” and possibly new ones. 

Get Vaccinated – Everyone in your family should get their annual flu shot.  It’s the best way to prevent contracting the flu.  If you are sensitive to the vaccine or agents in it, talk to your doctor or your child’s doctor about your options.  If your pediatrician’s office isn’t offering the flu vaccine or has run out (like mine did!), CVS and Walgreens walk-in clinics provide flu shots to children 18 months and older.  Contact your local one to see if they have the vaccine in stock before heading out. 

Pray – Let’s face it, we can do all of the things listed above and someone is still bound to get sick, so the best way to keep your sanity during this crazy time is to pray and trust God for His protection and health.  If nothing else, it’s a great way to to find peace!

For more information about the seasonal flu or the H1N1 virus, check out the CDC website or the government’s special flu website. 

What have you done to safeguard your family during this flu season? 

Photo Courtesy of itsv

Since our son was about 18 months old, he has experienced night terrors.  At first we had no idea what was happening to him in the middle of the night until I had a conversation with my friend Karen about it and she told me of her son having the same thing… night terrors.  For Andrew, it usually happens less than an hour after he goes to bed and then he will generally have multiple episodes of this in the same night.  He wakes up crying and is completely inconsolable for up to about 35 minutes.  There is nothing we can do to even remotely calm him down.  He appears to be awake, but technically isn’t.  It is quite a strange event. 

Night terrors are most common in young children, usually ages 3-6, however they can occur in younger children and also in older children and adults.  There are many misconceptions about night terrors, mostly that they are just really bad nightmares, but in reality they are very different events.  Nightmares are bad dreams that you can wake up remembering.  Night terrors are commonly described as seeming to wake up screaming or crying, appearing awake, but confused, not remembering the incident, and being inconsolable for 5-30 or more minutes.  A child experiencing night terrors will suddenly fall back to sleep as quickly as they appeared to have waken.

There are apparently different things that can trigger night terrors in children.  The most common thing is letting the child get over-tired or over-stressed.  There are also many different ways people choose to deal with their child’s night terrors.  For us, sitting with Andrew, rubbing his back or legs and hugging him sometimes helps soothe him.  Other times, it’s best for us not to touch or talk to him.  If your child has a tendency to have night terrors, make sure to let any babysitters know how to best handle them. 

The important thing to remember is not to treat the child as if he/she is acting up.  This is an involuntary response that they don’t even know is happening.  Being calm, finding what helps soothe your child at that time, and trying to prevent letting your child get totally wiped out will all help the situation! 

Does your child experience night terrors?  How do you help them during an episode? 

Photo Courtesy of deltaMike

Tomorrow, October 15th, is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  Every year, millions of babies die during pregnancy (miscarriage), child birth or shortly thereafter.  This day is an internationally recognized day to remember those precious little lives lost too soon.   

In 2005, our own national government realized the need for awareness, education and support of and for families that have been through this awful experience and passed a resolution to make October 15th a nationally supported day of remembrance. 

Amelia shared her very personal experience with miscarriage with The Mom Crowd readers and I have also shared a part of my story when talking about Secondary Infertility.  It is a very personal and difficult situation to be in and most of the time, the families get little to no support.  Take a few moments out of your day tomorrow and write a note of encouragement, make a phone call, or pray for those you know who have experienced such a loss.  Also, tomorrow night at 7 pm YOUR TIME, light a candle for each child you have lost or for each child lost of someone you know.  It’s a beautiful way to remember the little lights that are now shining above.

For more information on this day and local events, visit the Remembering Our Babies website.

Have you experienced the loss of a child or do you know someone who has?  How do you plan to remember them tomorrow? 

Photo Courtesy of Adam Foster/Codefor 

About three months ago, the negative effects of the recession hit our home when my husband got laid-off.  After the initial shock and fears of wondering how we were going to survive, we settled into a new reality.  I was terribly worried that my husband and I were going to drive each other crazy being around each other 24/7 with no breaks.  Surprisingly, this time has strengthened our relationship and our individual faiths. 

I thought I would share a few of the things we have done to stay sane:

Take turns sleeping in!  While I have taken my share (plus a few extra) of mornings sleeping in, I also try to let him get some days “off” from the early morning (and I mean VERY early) kid duties.

Get out of the house at least every other day!  Staying at home gets boring and boredom brings on depression and aggitation.  Getting out of the house frequently helps stave off some of the crankies.  We have made many trips to Target, Toys R Us, and other local stores just to browse to get everyone out of the house.

Play games together!   While it’s next to impossible to play actual board games with kids in the house, we have taken to playing online Scrabble and other games against each other.  The advantages of these online games are that you can take your time playing, come back to it and play when you want/can, and you don’t have to worry about game pieces being shoved into little noses!

Wives, don’t nag!  At first I didn’t realize that to my husband, my asking questions about his job search as often as I did was nagging.  It’s ok to inquire about phone calls or progress, just not on a daily basis.  And by all means, DO NOT look for a job for him unless he asks you to or has given you “permission”.  Many guys feel emasuclated when their wives do their “work” for them. 

Pray together!  We  pray together over potential jobs, our finances and our children.  Like Dawn has been saying in the past two Abiding Mondays posts, prayer calms anxiety.  When I get anxious, it helps me to pray with my husband.  I find comfort in knowing he is standing with me during the troubling times.

And lastly, just remember that it won’t last forever.  The right job will come along.  Your life will get back to the normal you have always known!

Have you or someone you know closely gone through this type of situation?  What did you do to stay sane?  What tips do you have for families in this transitional time?

Photo Courtesy of Moomettesgram

It never ceases to amaze me at the level of shock some of my friends seem to have on their faces when I am blatantly open and honest about some of the struggles I have with my kids.  I think we are so used to feeling like we are in constant competition with other moms, about who is the better mom and who has the perfect children, that we forget how much we need to be real with each other to stay sane and learn from each other.

All too often we are met with a struggle or even just something weird we aren’t sure how to handle and we seek out advice.  Sure many women feel comfortable asking thier own mothers, but truthfully, how many of our moms REALLY remember exactly how they handled potty training or talking back?  Half the time, I can’t remember how I handled things with my son that I am now dealing with in raising my daughter… and they are only 2.5 years apart!!! 

So, what’s a girl to do?  How do you find other moms you can be totally transparent with and how can you encourage those kinds of friendships?

Join a mom’s group – Whether you join a group like the type I mentioned last Wednesday or you are just involved in a play group, take advantage of the wisdom of other mom’s (especially if they have older children)! 

Listen to your friends – You can tell if a friend is struggling, so when you realize this… encourage them to talk about it.  This can be a mutually transparent relationship and both of you can grow from it. 

Find an online parenting community – Let’s face it, people are always more bold and honest online than in person — they feel more safe and are more willing to reveal personal things.  This can be a great outlet to get advice, but be warned, as with anything you do online, be careful with how much personal information you give and weigh the advice of strangers before taking it to heart!

Be transparent with YOURSELF! – Once other moms see that you are willing to take the risk and put yourself out there, so will they! 

Are you a transparent mom?  Are you too afraid of not living up to others standards that you are not transparent enough?  What have you done to find these kinds of relationships? 

Photo Courtesy of David Boyle