As a mom and a step-mom, there have been a number of times where a child's illness has been "inconvenient" at best. When my step-kids came over ill, it was never announced to us by their mother ahead of time, so we always had to change our plans at the last minute. This would also often mean, since the information was passed through the memories of the children, that the rest of us would catch whatever it was as well. However, as a parent, I simply sighed and carried on the best I could without letting the kids know of my annoyance.
When Little Guy is sick, I obviously worry about him. Mostly we've had to deal with the sniffles and minor bouts of flue. He gets so miserable and cranky at night when he can't rest. It's those times that I am thankful for children's medicine. We also follow certain patterns during his illnesses.
During the day, he and I will snuggle up on the sofa, under blankets, and watch TV. He usually leans against me, kind of half-heartedly paying attention but just content to snuggle. That's how I know he's REALLY sick. At night, after a meal of something warm, filling and healthy (like my homemade chicken soup), we'll give him medicine and let it kick in. Once he seems more comfortable, we slip him into bed and give him an extra blanket.
While I hate when he's sick, there's something bittersweet about it too. It's one of those times where I know for certain my son wants and needs me. I also recognize that is something he will want less and less as he gets older. As a child, he will have his share of scraped, bruises, sniffles, and illnesses. But the years when a kiss and a hug can heal these things passes by so quickly. I suspect that, even when he's 30, I'll still want to go running to take care of him when he's sick. Right now though, he thinks his dad and I hang the moon and stars and I am OK with that.
1 comment:
awwww, hi there to my little guy!! Love you kiddo!!
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