I 'fondly' remember writing this post a few years back. I haven't needed to use it often, thankfully, but the tips are sooooo helpful.
Last night, it occurred to me that I have a few additional thoughts on the subject. You get one guess as to why I have updated thoughts.
When one child has an upset stomach, and you have multiple children, go ahead and EXPECT that it is going to hit them all. Setting my expectations on that made it a pleasant surprise when only 4 out of 6 children were sick. :)
Remove excess bedding/books/stuffed animals from the general vicinity of EVERY bed. Each kid can make due with a fitted sheet, one top sheet or blanket and a (washable) pillow. If necessary, one washable 'teddy' is also allowed. No big comforter, no extra blankies, no extra teddies. This will make your life easier, I promise.
When the second child gets sick, start singing the chorus "Another one bites the dust" in your head. (I have NO idea why this enters my head, but without fail, it always does. And I find it mildly amusing. In no way do I endorse this song. I don't even know the rest of the words to this song... only the chorus.) Humor, in the midst of a stomach bug, is a good thing to have.
A braid is definitely the best way to keep a little girl's hair out of the way. And no need to make it neat and tidy... just get that hair secured! You will be thankful later.
Since you are expecting every child to be sick, go ahead and braid every girl's hair. If she gets sick, then it's out of the way. If she doesn't, then she has the benefit of cute wavy hair the next day. It's a win-win.
Invest in multiple small, plastic trashcans. These are a good size for a child's hands. They are also very easy to clean.
Even a 2 year old, who is used to sleeping in a crib, can successfully spend one night sleeping in a bathtub. (Preferably the bathtub closest to mom... poor baby.)
And don't forget to thank God for a faithful washing machine and dryer. Seriously!
Last night, it occurred to me that I have a few additional thoughts on the subject. You get one guess as to why I have updated thoughts.
When one child has an upset stomach, and you have multiple children, go ahead and EXPECT that it is going to hit them all. Setting my expectations on that made it a pleasant surprise when only 4 out of 6 children were sick. :)
Remove excess bedding/books/stuffed animals from the general vicinity of EVERY bed. Each kid can make due with a fitted sheet, one top sheet or blanket and a (washable) pillow. If necessary, one washable 'teddy' is also allowed. No big comforter, no extra blankies, no extra teddies. This will make your life easier, I promise.
When the second child gets sick, start singing the chorus "Another one bites the dust" in your head. (I have NO idea why this enters my head, but without fail, it always does. And I find it mildly amusing. In no way do I endorse this song. I don't even know the rest of the words to this song... only the chorus.) Humor, in the midst of a stomach bug, is a good thing to have.
A braid is definitely the best way to keep a little girl's hair out of the way. And no need to make it neat and tidy... just get that hair secured! You will be thankful later.
Since you are expecting every child to be sick, go ahead and braid every girl's hair. If she gets sick, then it's out of the way. If she doesn't, then she has the benefit of cute wavy hair the next day. It's a win-win.
Invest in multiple small, plastic trashcans. These are a good size for a child's hands. They are also very easy to clean.
Even a 2 year old, who is used to sleeping in a crib, can successfully spend one night sleeping in a bathtub. (Preferably the bathtub closest to mom... poor baby.)
And don't forget to thank God for a faithful washing machine and dryer. Seriously!
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