I don’t wanna to freak out my kids!

[swiftette]

I'm starting to loose it. I've been doing good up untill this point. Last year, I lectured my kids every day about using hand sanitizer and washing their hands and they STILL got an sv*along with countless numbers of colds. Unfortunatly, my6 year oldstarted worrying about sv*s and germs -pretty much acting like me. This year, I thought I'd use a differant approach and not question them all the time about it and not question people when they say they've been sick, another words-NOT OBBSESS !And just look at me-I'm a mess!I'm trying to keep it all in but I can feel myself shutting down. What am I gonna do? I don't wanna freak them out, but I don't wanna be afraid to be near them. I just wish I could shut my brain off for the next few months!I live in theBoston area and we have the most beautiful foliage here, but I can't bear to look up at the trees. Like by not doing so, I will make the fall season not happen or something!I ran threw the motions at Halloween, I have'nt planned Thanksgiving dinner yet. And forget Christmas. It's not like me. LikeI just want to wish it all away. I can't live like this every year!This damn phobia is making me miss all the good stuff!

[shiva]

Are you in therapy?


I know it's hard. If we don't want to be normal for any other reason it's definitely for our kids sake. Just know that no parent is perfect, not even the "normal" ones and most kids end up with quirks whether it's something you have in common or not. All you can do it your best.

[mommyof3]

I don't know what to say to you other than again I see someone posting exactly how I feel! Today was a "lost" day (that's what I call days I'm bad) because my husband has been home sick with constant d*. I don't get anything done, I feel like I'm just pacing, worrying. I commend you for "lightening up" with the hand washing/sanitizer. Don't beat yourself up. Even if you're not an emet, you still want your kids healthy and this time of year it makes sense to keep your hands washed. I've tried being a little more laid back, too. I'm now down to just washing hands after bathroom, before eating, and after getting home from somewhere. Maybe you could try that?


Do you ever just hope that your kids get it and get it over with? I mean, usually it goes through here once a year, I can pretty much count on it (other than the heavenly winter of 2001-2002, butI still worried all season). Only once did we have it twice and that was in the winter and then in the late spring. Once we've had it go through our house (and thanks to diligent handwashing I can usually spare one or two of us), I'm like a new woman. Sure, I worry, but it's not the constant, "will tonight be the night?" Last year it hit our house before Christmas so Christmas was wonderful!


I guess all we can do is our best and like shiva said, all parents have flaws. We are darn good moms .

[trixie]

That is so weird Mommyof3. I'm like that too. If a sv has been through the house its like i can throw a party!!! i feel protected and if i hear anyone talking about having the sv i can say 'oh yere we had that last week ... awful wasn't it..?'LOL

[dord]

I see one thing we all have in common is the relief we feel once "it" has gone through our families. I just got to work and already two personnel have phoned me that they have the stomach flu and won't be in. I am to the point now that I feel like we are doomed and I hope if we are going to get it we would just get it, and quickly, before the holidays. I'm terrified of traveling now during the holidays and ofcourse we have to go 1200 miles!!! I'm sure right before Dec 22nd it will go through work again so I can be good and paranoid. My husband works here too - downstairs. LOVELY!

[tayda]

Awww, I know how that can be. Just take it one day at a time. SV*s happen, and sometimes there is no prevention. If you kids are fine today, then you can relax for another day, don't worry about what tomorrow brings. Maybe this will be another heavenly winter


I hope so


I hope you're doing better now.

[liriodendron]

Can you give us a little more detail on what kind of behavior your kids are exhibiting now that doesn't seem quite right?



Last night, the musical pop star Usher was on the Tonight Show and Jay
asked him if he was a "germaphobe" and he said yes but not really, I
use sanitizer after I shake someone's hand. OK, he's obviously got a
heightened awareness of the consequences of not washing hands, doesn't
this make him a crazy man for doing it or does it make him smart for
doing it. Based on my observation, it doesn't appear to be a ritual
that is running his life or hindering his success in any way, shape or
form.



Furthermore, I'd tend to believe that more people would be e-phobes if
they were aware of SV illnesses and other germs that can make them
sick. There are many public education programs out there that are
telling people to do the same thing as you told your kids. Some of them
do what they're told. Most don't. But those that are aware of what
those illnesses can do, can even be deadly to sensitive groups, then
you have every reason to have fear of this germs. And that fear is
going to multiply every time you or your kids hear about someone being
sick or see someone v*. So I don't think it's what you're doing or not
doing to your kids at this point.

[tayda]

If you think about the amount of hands that Usher shakes, I think that it's definitely WISE that he uses hand sanitizer.. lol

[rileyl]

Hey guys. I am pretty much feeling exactly the same way. I have 2 school-aged kids and am highly anxious whenever I send them off to school these days. Often, I have trouble getting anything done at work because I am consumed with worry. I don't know what the answer is. I guess just try to focus on the time that the kids are not sick???? (Which is the vast majority of the year.) Ugh! I wish that I could prevent anyone in my family from ever having to deal with a sv.


I do agree with Shiva. We are all good parents despite this phobia. And I have witnessed frist hand how even kids from "normal" families still have issues to deal with in life. There is no perfect parent.

[swiftette]

Lireodendron asked"Can you give us a little more detail on what kind of behavior your kids are exhibiting now that doesn't seem quite right?"-Well, last year,she (my six year old) started to get scaredafter school if she'deat and then remember that she had'nt washed her handsyet. She would literally cry and say"Now I'm gonna have mucous"-gross I know, but that's what her daddy told her IT was and now that's what she calls IT. She got the virus so bad last year, we had to take her to the ER. And it was Easter weekend!But to answer mommyofthree"Do you ever just hope that your kids get it and get it over with?"I USED to think that way but then some Dr. told me stomach viruses are like colds, you can get them over and over again in a year. The only good thing is they are'nt airbourne so there always IS a good chance you won't catch one.When one does enter my home-I become totally obsessed. I have buckets(un-used) underneath my kids' beds at all times. I have face masks and gloves in my side table drawer and I wear them at all times untill they are feeling better(even though my mom and husband think I'm a nut). I bleach and lysol anything that does'nt move and what ever get v* on gets tossed immediatley. I try to keep the kids seperated and NOONE is allowed in my room-it's my only safety zone.I make my husband clean up any"accidents" but then Idon't trust that he got it allso I clean it again. And again and again for 2 weeks. I swear it's taking years off my life-all the worrying. In those lost days, I barely eat, I cry myself to sleep, and Iwash my hands with bleach before I shower-while wearing my facemask mind you. God I've spilled my soul. I feel like I'm at an AA meeting. Only its V-a.

[liriodendron]

Swiftette,



First of all, under the circumstances, I don't think there's anything
wrong with your child's behavior. In fact it sounds like you have them
well trained! Now if only they'd clean their room, right?!



As far as being airborne, I've heard that they can be airborne.
Although I've also heard they can stike more than once in a season.



And I think it would be helpful to know what city and/or state you're
located in because I truly believe SV's are endemic to some areas or
occur in greater frequency in some places more than others. There are
large metropolitan areas where SV's are not as frequent as colds and in
fact you could walk into a classroom in a high school in some places
and ask the kids to raise their hand if they know what a SV is and
nobody would know what you're talking about.



Are you finding these to be truly contagious from person to person
because if not perhaps there's something wrong somewhere else in the
equation. Maybe the school cafeteria is not handling food properly in
other words.

[sheri-baby]

Liriodendron you crack me up! I like reading your posts, your give good, honest advice and your funny.[img]smileys/smilies_32.gif[/img]Are you a comedian? if not you should be! Anyways so where's the areas where no one's heard od sv's? I'm packing our bags, Aloha Hawaii!