When a child gets sick, it is so easy to give other parents advice as to what to do. I think we're all quite good at that. Although I can honestly say that I hate it when my own children are sick. Not only do I feel helpless at relieving them of their uncomfortable situation but I also seem to question my instincts. I don't like that feeling of uncertainty about what to do to help my children. Luckily gut feelings are completely reliable and can be followed without needing any logical reasoning.
It normally starts with a slight snotty nose, a sore throat, a few sneezes, a headache, cough or maybe even a fever. I start off by medicating the symptoms myself for a few days and try not to run too quickly to the doctor. I don't want to seem like a hypochondriac mom. But doubt has already set in and I start to question whether the medication is actually working. By the third or fourth day, my sick child is just about all I think about during my work day and all I seem to talk about. I'll ask other moms for advice but really only listen with half an ear as they don't know my child. Of course I ignore all advice such as taking him to the doctor. I'm a mom, I know how to treat a sick child. Especially my own.
If the symptoms start to get worse though, my diagnosis seems to change at an hourly rate and my thoughts work overtime. I'm ready to book my child in at 'emergencies'. By now I have at least phoned the doctor and asked for some kind of professional diagnosis. I'm still not satisfied, and by the next day my child just seems to look worse than the day before. Luckily I have a best friend of sound mind who calmly steps in and literally interrupts my thoughts. My husband will look me straight in the eye with that look that says: “Take him to the doctor-TODAY.”
Of course at the doctor's visit, my sick child is climbing all the furniture and looks like the Energizer Bunny. Even the doctor seems amused. At this stage I actually don't care what medication gets prescribed or whether it's a viral or bacterial infection. There is just something comforting about those special little instruments that doctors use to 'look' inside your child. All the major parts have been checked and diagnosed. Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief.
I also don't seem to worry about my purse strings when it comes to medicine and my sick children. I'll pay just about anything to help them out their painful state. But the truth is, as soon as that first bit of medicine goes down, it's actually me who starts to feel better.
I don't believe there is a parent in the world who has it all together when their child gets ill. We worry about them whether it is something serious or not. It's that worry that usually drives us to find the right way to helping them. We need someone reliable or trustworthy to go to for advice when our children are not well. A doctor with a good sense of humour wouldn't hurt!
Happy parenting!
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