Resting, drinking enough, sleeping enough, going on easy walks to get some fresh air from time to time.
Reality:
These are all well intended advice. However, reality looks different:
Baby at home. Toddler at kindergarten. Potentially another child at school.
This means: The cold takes months on end, because the virus and bacteria jump from one family member to the other. And when everyone has had their turn… well… because we’ve enjoyed it all that much, it starts again.
In real family-life, mums are lucky, if their kids are ill enough to sleep a lot during the day as well. In reality, often times all grumpy toddlers and babies want to have mums attention at the same time.
Advice No. 1: Have a nap with your children.
That’s possible, if you only have one child. It becomes increasingly unlikely with the second child though.
It could be so easy: The whole family having a two-hour nap together. However, reality would probably rather look like this: Instead of napping at the same time, the kids decide to take turns: Baby is having a nap in the morning (only in the stroller, obviously). Toddler is having a nap at lunchtime, and then baby again in the afternoon. Bummer, mum falls to the wayside.
Advice No. 2: Going outside to get some fresh air?
Going outside? Actually, don’t know about that one… if so, toddlers want to be carried and don’t accept walking a couple of meters on their own, forgetting that their younger sibling has to be pushed in the stroller. After all, they’re ill as well…
Advice No. 3: A comforting hot bath in the evening to make the cold go away?
Nothing doing! Just in the second you think all kids are well asleep and your husband is still at work, you step into the bath and try to relax, the moment of relaxation is gone already: One of your kids starts yelling after just a few minutes.
The reason: Pain, thirst, congested sinuses that make it impossible for them to breath, and so on.
Advice No. 4: Go to bed early and have a long and good sleep.
Wishful thinking! Because when you finally manage to find your way into bed, in order to give your body at least SOME of the much needed rest through a deep and long slumber, you’ll soon realize that you’re getting the exact opposite of what you’ve asked for: Being awake for longer periods of time, constantly having to get up to check on one of your kids. There is sneezing, coughing and stertorous breathing coming from all bedrooms. So basically everything that you don’t need right now!
I could keep going like this forever!
And still…
isn’t it amazing, how the human body (especially mum’s body) is able to handle these strains, and how we’re just “functioning” in times like these?
No doubt: Health is being affected by this, and getting-well is surely being hindered. But how does the saying (concerning baby’s development) go again…? “It’s just a phase…”
That means: Even cold season will be over eventually, at the latest when summer comes around. 🙂
There’s a few more tipps,that can help:
- Sleep whenever you get the chance to. (Even if it’s just 20 minutes) -> Let me tell you: You can even sleep on the couch with your baby and the baby carrier. 🙂
- If parents (in law) are close by, ask them for help.
- Try leaving the house as often as possible– preferably every morning and afternoon. Grab your kids, put them in the stroller or in the bike trailer and go for a walk. Vitamin D is good for the immune system and your mood. Due to the fresh air you’ll feel energized and less tired.
- Take turns with your partner in taking care of the kids. Like this, at least one of you has got the chance to get a (nightly) rest.
- Prevent getting a cold by implementing a moderate training of 20-30 minutes into your day (for example with the MumMeFit-App). Combined with fresh air this is going to strengthen your immune system.
- Try avoiding clothing that’s too warm for outdoor activity and that makes you sweat too much. A sweaty body cools down too quickly when you want to stay outside to stretch after having worked out.
Wishing you a “cold-free” time!
