Sharing Bugs
My baby is sick, I'm sick, Brendon's sick, so far Madelynn is NOT sick.
Aidan gets them the hardest and the poor lad is just miserable. I've not had a cold since I was pregnant with Aidan I think. So I'm probably overdue one. Brendon isn't too bad but you know men, they are dying if they stub their toe!
I know we get colds etc...What bugs me is how we get them. We ALWAYS get them from my brother in law and his kids. No matter how many times we ask them "If you or your children are sick, please don't visit us" they just don't listen or care. They are good people but I swear they are thicker than pig shit in this category. ugh!
I must admit my kids are pretty strong and avoid quite a few colds etc...But I also believe that it has heaps to do with the fact they were breastfed for so long and that Brendon and I tend to shield them from all the bugs going around the best we can.
My two best mates in town are also immigrants in New Zealand too. Nikki, from PA and Coralie from Zimbabwe. If our kids have a play date scheduled we will let the others know that they are sick or have symptoms etc...giving the other parent a choice whether to expose the kids or not. It's just common courtesy I think.
For the last 7 years I've heard it over and over again from various New Zealand parents, regarding illness. "Oh, no matter just bring them over, let them catch it" "It will help them get immune" "So-and-so has the chicken pox, flu, cold...etc..Why don't you just stop by and expose your kids so they can just get it over with?"
What?!?! Kind of mentality is that? Maybe I'm and idiot but I cannot see the rationale in exposing someone to an illness if they don't need to be. Both of my immigrant friends feel the same about New Zealand in this department.
These are our children. We know how they are when they are sick, we know how they keep us awake at night. We know how they cry, wimper and whine because they are achy and have fever and chills. They depend on us to take care of them and keep them healthy and happy. So why would anyone in their right mind knowing expose them for the hell of it?
With this mentality if and or when Bird Flu hits I'm sure there is no way we can avoid it because Brendon's brother will bring it over to "share" with us.
Ok, maybe I've gone off on a tangent but I'm just so #$%*& pissed off about this share a cold thing in Brendon's family that I've just had enough.
Thank you for reading my venting, I'm off to get some cough syrup and some pain killers.
ACHOO!!!!
posted by Michelle @ Monday, August 07, 2006
2 Comments:
OMG, I agree with you on this. When anyone is coming over with kids, they often give me the heads up. There is one in particular that will come over (or used to) and would say 'oh she just has a snotty nose' and I would say ok. Well when they got here it was nice and thick and cloudy lol. NICE! So you know that just isn't a runny nose. Besides, there is stuff to clear up a runny nose, people lol! I admit our girls haven't been too sick. Kamryn used to get repeat throat infections and we soon found out what caused it once we stopped taking her for swimming lessons. Our doctor eventually told us that it was a breeding ground for many bacteria since you never know what the littlies have or what they are putting in the water.
I think New Zealand children on a whole are less sick than American children though. I belong to a message board for moms who had babies in October/November. And they are forever going on about how their kids are sick, ALWAYS! I know my mom even says that kids are why over treated for things there too. She sees it with her partner's son who is near 12. She said his mom was always giving him antibiotics and such and now he catches anything and everything cause his body didn't get the chance to build it's defenses.
Yeah, I don't see the whole 'expose them to it and get it out of the way' theory. I will avoid it at all costs cause like you, I know how they whinge and cry and drive me insane when they are sick. The chicken pox one gets me. Forget that, I'm happy to wait until they are older so I can talk to them about it instead of letting them suffer with it so young. There was a case of hand, foot and mouth disease at Kamryn's daycare and all I could think was great!!! And that is something I would NEVER want my children exposed to!
*sorry for the looooooooong post lol*
Sorry your family is sick. My boys both have colds again. They seem to pick them up from daycare and kindy, which is pretty much inevitable I guess.
I do try to give my friends a call if my kids aren't well and ask them if it is still okay to come over, etc. I appreciate it when people do the same for me. But I don't usually keep my kids home from daycare if they just have a cold or something that is not contagious (like an ear infection). I definitely keep them away if they are vomiting or have diarrhoea.
I breastfed my kids for 12 and 15 months but they do get their fair share of colds. The average child gets about 6-10 per year. Mine probably get 4 per year. And they aren't really bad ones. It has been the ear infections that have been the big thing for us, but hopefully all over now!
I hope you guys are better soon.
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