Since the Saturday before last, our house has been plagued with sickness. It started with my oldest son, then moved to my daughter, my baby and finally me (I’m writing this while still trying to kick a head cold). For some reason, my husband didn’t get sick. Something about getting out of the house every day?? :)

But while we spent most of the week in a fog of illness, there were some important lessons I learned and some things I needed to remind myself of while my children were sick.

kleenex
photo credit

Natural remedies do work. After sharing about my son’s earache, my sweet friend Anna gave me a suggestion of a natural remedy to relieve the pain and help heal the earache. After a full day’s worth of dropping the concoction into Will’s ear and massaging behind the ear with olive oil, the pain was completely gone! {Antibiotics are definitely there for the times we really need them, but since my mom (a nurse) thought this was viral, they wouldn’t have done any good anyhow.}

I can survive staying home all day, every day, for more than a week. I’m a very social person by nature so I enjoy getting out, even if it’s just to go grocery shopping. But I did not set food out of my house for eight days. I almost forgot we have a car. 

Believe me, these were not a fun eight days of being cooped up in the house, especially since it came at the same time as the first big snowfall of winter! But having to focus on getting my children well made staying inside the house bearable….and yes, there was lots of prayer and ice cream involved.

We can live off the food in our pantry. I honestly didn’t realize how much food we had in our freezer and pantry before I stayed home for this extended period of time. It really forced me to look through my cupboards and discover some new, ahem, recipes. I learned that I can be creative with meals when I have to and we can be content with just having well-fed, well-nourished children, even if the menu isn’t very exciting.

Sometimes you just gotta relax and not worry about the mess. And there was is definitely a mess. It was hard for me to turn a blind eye to it, but the kids and I spent lots of time curled up on the couch reading Little House in the Big Woods and doing puzzles and coloring to pass the time. We really couldn’t do much else!  I’m sure it will take a week or so to clean our house to my perfectionist standards and sanitizing all the germy places. But it’s okay….things will get clean again, and life will go on.

Taking care of my kids is more important than anything else.  I love blogging and connecting with people. There are so many great posts from wonderful bloggers that I could read each and every day! And I won’t be shy about the fact that I would someday like to contribute to the family income through blogging or writing online. Therefore, it was horribly tempting last Thursday, when I posted my first giveaway and was hosting my first Thrifty Thursday link-up with a friend, to spend lots of time online to see how things were going. 

But when my kids are depending on me to wipe their little noses and cradle their little bodies during a coughing fit, I can’t help but recall that the best thing I can do is just be there for them, physically and mentally. Everything else can just wait!

These Five of Mine

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14 Comments on Five Important Things I Learned While My Children Were Sick

  1. So glad things are going better for you and your family! Our family started with the flu 6 weeks ago and we kept getting something new and then passing it along to each other. Right now, we’re all getting over colds and I’m hoping that this is the end of it. What you said about things God has taught you is exactly how I have felt! In fact, I’m amazed that we’ve pretty much lived off of our stash of food in the freezer and pantry for almost 6 weeks! I’m thankful that we had so much stored up but am shocked at how much I still have left. In fact, I just started a Freezer Clean-Out Challenge because of all the food that is STILL in my freezer!!! Hope you continue on the road to recovery!
    JanelleS
    http://www.parsnipsandparsimony.com

    • Thank you for your encouragement, Janelle! It really is amazing how much food I have in my freezer still too! God is good to us and provides for all of our needs :)

  2. So glad you are all feeling better! Some of my very favorite memories are from when illness has slowed us down and we really truly just hung out together. I hate my kids being sick, but cherish those times that have been focused on simply mothering them! Thanks for always encouraging, no matter your situation, Jenn!

    • Thank you for your thoughts! I think sometimes God has to force me to focus on just being a mom….even if it happens when my kids are ill …

  3. I couldn’t agree with you more. We are just now getting the house back in order after my son’s 4 day stay in the hospital a week ago. And now I have a head cold. But the house and my “to do” list don’t matter much now. It was scary having my boy so sick, and I’m just grateful for the time with him and all the kiddos. Of course, life will consume me soon again and I’ll need reminded once more.

    • So glad your son is alright! Sometimes I wonder if God gives me purposeful reminders of what is most important!

  6. Glad to hear you’re starting to feel better Jenn. Jacobi and I dealt with a bad cold for over a week(about a week ago) as well…not fun! Somehow Adam escaped it, but took great care of us as he was able. Take care:)

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