If you have 3+ kids: Sickness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Appreciate the responses. We got through the weekend. DH took all three to swimming which worked out great. It meant the baby was totally off his schedule all day (my third kid is by FAR the worst at stroller naps, basically won’t take them which is a cruel twist of fate - 3rd kids need stroller naps!) but I got to rest and the baby did okay. Afternoon was super manageable with two nappers. Then in the evening, some childless but amazing friends of ours took the big kids to Zoolights so husband could focus on baby and I could rest. They are saints.

Kids are off at school, the boys still haven’t gotten sick (amazing) and I’m working from my bed with my laptop today, and feeling slightly better. Whew!

Stop exposing others to you illness. That’s horrible.

??

OP here. How did I expose anyone else? Only healthy people went to Zoolights and swimming. I stayed home all day.

[Anonymous]

Where is your husband? Why can’t he assist ?

[Anonymous]

I feel for you. My kids are older and past this stage but typically with little kids, if one is sick we skipped any optional activities/outings for all (even if one kid is not sick). I just did not find it manageable or realistic to take one out but not the others- and at that age they truly are not missing out on anything.

I tried really hard to avoid certain indoor places in the winter months (germ factories like play places, children’s museum with interactive activities, story hours and kiddie classes etc). Especially right before holidays or vacations. They pick up enough germs at school or daycare as it is.

I never quarantined anyone or tried to keep the kids away from each other - considered it a lost cause for kids living in the same household.

Also (and this is a personal oddity of mine but will say it anyway): I am convinced that fresh air helps a lot in the cooler months. Opening windows daily for short periods, and taking kids (and babies) outside regularly- dressed for the weather of course. Unless they have a fever. Maybe I am just a weirdo but was always convinced it helped somehow- and even if not, the fresh air and outdoor time is better than being cooped up indoors.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t be worried about the baby. Just breastfeed even more than usual and he’ll get your antibodies and he’ll be fine.

[Anonymous]

I mean, you want my honest answer? Sometimes you just have to take care of the kids even though you're sick. Lots of screens, frozen pizza, just make it through the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have three kids - DS5, DD4 and a 7 month old baby boy.

Overall the transition to three has been surprisingly smooth. But the first wave of winter sickness hit us this week and I’m wrecked.

Started with a fever for DD4 last week. She was home from school Tuesday-Friday. That was stressful but manageable. By Thursday my husband got it, so the two of them hunkered down Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile baby was at his nanny share and DS5 was at school.

Today though, I woke up super sick. DD4 is 100% better. Husband is 80% better. Neither of the boys have been sick. So we’re trying to juggle three healthy kids, keep two of them away from germs, I’m a mess. We’re a non-screen family except illness and airplanes, and the big kids watched a TON of TV today. They were able to go to a friend’s house for a couple hours.

I don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow. I’m miserable, and am staying at least six feet away from the baby, so DH is doing all baby care. The big kids are supposed to go to swim class tomorrow morning and they really should (DD in particular has been cooped up SO MUCH she’s going stir crazy) but I can’t care for the baby and I don’t know if I can get them to swimming (plus it’s a dick move for me to be inside with other people when I’m sick). Basically all their friends are out of town, so I don’t think we’ll even be able to send them elsewhere to play.

How to bigger families (who can’t just play man to man) handle this sort of thing? Any tips from more seasoned parents of 3+ kids?

I’m starting to understand why in old stories, as soon as one kid got sick they’d just stick em all in bed together until they all got it.

This seems like an odd practice to follow.

Are you by chance BIPOC, op?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel for you. My kids are older and past this stage but typically with little kids, if one is sick we skipped any optional activities/outings for all (even if one kid is not sick). I just did not find it manageable or realistic to take one out but not the others- and at that age they truly are not missing out on anything.

I tried really hard to avoid certain indoor places in the winter months (germ factories like play places, children’s museum with interactive activities, story hours and kiddie classes etc). Especially right before holidays or vacations. They pick up enough germs at school or daycare as it is.

I never quarantined anyone or tried to keep the kids away from each other - considered it a lost cause for kids living in the same household.

Also (and this is a personal oddity of mine but will say it anyway): I am convinced that fresh air helps a lot in the cooler months. Opening windows daily for short periods, and taking kids (and babies) outside regularly- dressed for the weather of course. Unless they have a fever. Maybe I am just a weirdo but was always convinced it helped somehow- and even if not, the fresh air and outdoor time is better than being cooped up indoors.

OP here - I think the bolded is why I'm finding three so much harder than two. With two so close in age, my oldest two got everything together, so I never even bothered trying to keep them apart. But I'd really like to keep the baby away from all the preschool/kindergarten germs. And he's not breastfed like my others were (didn't work out, long story). I've been successful at this - he's only gotten one cold from them back when he was a tiny bitty newborn, and he's missed out on a few other colds, this fever, a stomach bug, and HFM. So it's definitely possible to keep the germs away from the baby but it's SO stressful. My hands are literally chapped from endless washing.

At least, thinking about it now, that's really only going to be doable this winter since he's not mobile. Next winter I'm sure he'll get everything they get, no matter what I do, and I can chill out about it.

And no, I'm not BIPOC. What an odd question.