(Lets face it kids are full of honesty, they say it as they see it. This is a new column written from the ‘HONEST’ observations from our children. It touches on all aspects of the process of growing up and how we as parents can improve ourselves from a child’s point of view).

 

 

 

COLD be gone ye!

 

 

 

 

 

Woke Mum up early to watch the Golden Globes, c’mon Mum get your glamour face on its time to meet some stars, obviously I have a lot in common with these Hollywood personalities since I’m a star myself.

 

Everybody ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhh’s’ when I come into the room. Sheesh, Mum looked really worse for wear, not due to the 3am wake up, I’m not to blame for the red nose, bleary eyed look and she sounds like some creature out of the Hobbit. What’s happened to my beautiful Mum.

 

She says she has a cold as she sneezes into my milk cloth, yikes I poop in my pants but even I find Mum’s behavior revolting, get your own mum!!! Are you sure you haven’t been imbibing in the leftover Christmas mulled wine, red nose, bleary eyes and singing Les Miserables songs along with Hugh Jackman seems awfully suspicious.

 

 

 

 

Guess Mum does have a cold, for Big Sister was down by evening and I’m starting to feel a bit wishy washy myself. Blocked nose, can’t breathe, sneezing a lot and everything is fuzzy not sure if I’ll make it to the age of one.

 

Nursing time’s a bit of a mess with this cold and all, its like trying to feed the gators Mum says to Dad, very funny Mum you try sucking with a blocked nose, its like deep water diving but without the cute dolphins.

 

To clear my nose out Mum takes me into a steaming hot bathroom. Well great now I feel like steamed vegetables and my pores are all cleaned out, I’m a happy shiny baby, but just until the next bathroom facial.

 

 

 

Big sister is flopped down on the sofa watching endless reams of Shaun the sheep, she’s down bad she says not sure if this is an excuse to indulge in an 24 hour marathon of tele fest. Anyways since Mum’s got a cold she’s down with anything, might be a good idea to ask her about the super deluxe rocker which plays all the songs from Teletubbies I had my eye on.

 

Fortunately cold only lasted a few days and we are all back to our jovial self’s no more bathroom facials, so my pores are clogged up again. Miraculously Dad escaped our diseased filled germs and the cold, he’s got super powers my Dad, I knew it or maybe he’s Zeus and I’m his little Thor or maybe he just had the flu jab!. 

 

 

 

 

Expert Advice

 

The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract which affects primarily the nose. Symptoms include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and fever which usually resolves in seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up to three weeks.

 

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Expert Advice

 

Since most children can't master nose blowing until about age 4, here are a few ways to help ease your baby's congestion.

 

Use saline and suction. Tip your baby's head back and squeeze over-the-counter saline (salt water) drops into his nostrils to loosen up the mucus. Then suction out the liquid and mucus a few minutes later with a rubber bulb syringe or nasal aspirator. If your baby is having trouble nursing with a stuffy nose, try this tactic about 15 minutes before a feeding. He'll then be able to breathe and suck at the same time.

 

Apply petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils to reduce irritation. (Don't use nasal sprays on your baby unless his doctor says it's okay. They may work temporarily but can cause a rebound effect, making the congestion worse with continued use.)

 

Moisten the air. Use a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer to moisten the air in your baby's room. Or take your baby into the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water, close the door, and sit in the steamy room for about 15 minutes. A warm bath can accomplish the same thing.

 

Expert Advice

 

The influenza vaccination, also known as a flu shot, is an annual vaccination using a vaccine specific for a given year to protect against the highly variable influenza virus.

 

 

 

 

 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe