It’s back to school time, and you know what that means! Back to runny noses, back to fevers, and back to hours on hold to get that sick kid pediatrician appointment.
It’s true that fall brings more than cooler temperatures and pumpkin spice lattes—it also brings more time indoors and more shared germs.
I find dealing with a sick child to be one of the toughest parts of parenting.
Your heart aches to see them suffer.
You do everything you can to help them get better and feel more comfortable, but it never feels like enough.
You struggle with last-minute work rescheduling and babysitting switcheroos so that you can stay home with your kid.
You spend hours sanitizing your house in the hopes that you, your partner, and your other children don’t catch the virus—and yet your efforts are rarely successful.
Here’s the good news: In all the dreadfulness that is childhood illness, there are some unexpected benefits the moment your kid feels like himself again.
5 Unexpected Perks on the Day Your Sick Kid Gets Better Tweet this!
1. You delight in their crazy energy.
The running around in circles, the screaming at the top of their lungs, the total inability to wind down at bedtime—these things normally frustrate you to no end. But after an illness that left them weak and lethargic, you’re so thankful to see them energetic that it doesn’t bother you one bit!
2. They actually eat everything you put in front of them.
For that first day or two when your sick kid gets better, you don’t have to worry about plates left untouched or bowls of hot food turned cold. Your child was without much of an appetite for a bit, and when it returns it usually does so with a vengeance!
3. Bathroom duty doesn’t seem so bad.
After a few days of cleaning up vomit and diarrhea (just calling it like it is), handling dirty diapers or wiping a potty-training toddler is no biggie because at least it’s normal.
4. Your pants fit better.
Why? Because you’re not walking around with 957,869 tissues stuffed in the pockets—some used, some not—for catching a runny nose on the fly.
5. You get a break from Google.
When dealing with a sick kid, parents tend to spend an inordinate amount of time Googling symptoms and reading website after website that diagnoses your child’s cold as some rare, life-threatening disease. The day your kid gets better? You are released from search-engine prison.
When was the last time your kid was sick? What was your favorite part about the day he/she got better?
image via sean dreilinger
28 responses to “The Day Your Sick Kid Gets Better: 5 Unexpected Perks”
My favorite part is when your big kid will snuggle with you or let you rock them like when they were a baby.
Awwww I’m sure those moments are treasured!
It’s a real bummer to see a quiet child, in my opinion! My son was a little unwell just yesterday, and I’m so glad that he’s back to his noisy self.
Yes, delight in the noise!
We’ve had one prolonged episode of terrible diarrhea and no diaper/laundry change will ever be as gross as those mornings. Ick.
I hear ya!
Oh yes. These all are so true. It’s amazing how being in the trenches with a sick child can make you appreciate the little things, isn’t it? Not looking forward to the germs, but I have to say I am looking forward to my oldest starting school next week!
I was just thinking how S has never been truly sick, and for that I’m grateful. There was one time, but it seems like eons ago.
Crazy energy is just a reality with her, so we embrace it.
No use fighting it, that’s for sure!
What a nice way to find the good in a usually crappy situation. Thanks for seeing the positive and sharing!
I love that time no longer goes by in four hour increments. When they are sick you live from one Tylenol dose to the next… Waiting to see if the fever is gone….
Oh yes, that’s a great one!
Number 5 cracked me up! So true!
I’m a nurse and, if it is even possible, I think that makes it even worse. I totally jump to the worst case scenario when anyone is sick.
All three of my kids had 104º and 105º temps at some point last week. So glad we are finally over that stuff. For some reason none of them appreciated a cold bath in the middle of the night, and it definitely wasn’t my favorite thing to be doing at 3 AM!
Oh my! Thank goodness you all made it through to the other (healthier) side!
Both kids got a wicked cold/fever/ear infection back in the late winter. It was miserable. When they were sick, they were extra snuggly. When they were better it was so much relief! To see them act like themselves again. To finally finish that darn pink amoxicillin crap and to stop worrying that antibiotics are shredding their cute little stomachs.
Haha! #3 and #4 made me giggle. So true. And I’m sending TWO to school this year. Eeep.
I’m sending positive vibes for good health your way!
Number 3 is SOO true! This past winter the stomach bug went around playgroup like 10x… It was ROUGH!! I think my fave part of my son getting better is being able to leave the house. I’m hoping this cold/flu season isn’t quite as bad. Great post!
My first child isn’t here until November but I already cringe at the thought of her being sick and suffering. That said, I will try and remember what made sick days special for me when I was a kid – my mom let me watch a movie, felt my forehead with her cool hand, and brought me snacks or drinks.
Moms are wonderful like that!
I remember our son’s first year in daycare. It was terrible for everyone. He got sick every few weeks, it seemed. I also liked when he regained his energy (though it only dropped a teeny tiny bit) and had an appetite. For our daughter, thankfully keeping her home with an Au pair has got down her sicknesses dramatically. The last time she was sick, it was only a cold, but it disrupted her sleep so much. I was so thankful when she got better and she/I could sleep again :).
I think the Internet is the worst part of my kid being sick… I end up convincing myself he has some incurable malady when it’s just a cold!
It’s so awful when the kids are sick!! I love your #1 though, because it’s so true!! It’s awesome to see DS running around after he’s been sick.
I relate to all of those except maybe #4. I don’t carry a lot of tissues in my pocket, but usually have a box or travel pack on hand!
this was awesome! It’s all about perspective, isn’t it! I love the bonus of “your pants fitting better” – too funny.
Oh, and Dr. Google – arghhh – I hate to admit it but I Google symptoms. I wish I wouldn’t. It freaks me out half the time.
Thanks so much for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop)!
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Love that day when they start to feel better! I also start to feel like less of a zombie from being up at all hours lol
Yup. That pretty much covers it!! Add to that, you get much more sleep!! Lord knows my kids don’t sleep when they are sick…and my world pretty much comes to a stop. It’s lovely when life resumes!
Amen to #3!!