Yep. As is typical of the beginning of the school year, my son is sick. It happens every year within the first month of school and it seems to be entirely unavoidable. It will inevitable snowball and as soon as one boy is better the other is sick, until finally I’ll get it but have not time left to take off for myself. B-E-A-utiful! Since I’ve already been through this a few times, I now start the school year off armed and ready. Here’s some tips to get you through the Sickies.

For You:

• If your job allows you to accumulate comp time, do it… and fast! Any amount of extra hours you can accumulate now can save you some of your paid time off.
• If your job allows for you to work at home some days, start preparing for what you could take home to work on if you had to.
• Start takin’ vitamins… arm yourself with Zicam, Airborne, or whatever works for you!

For your kids:

• Vitamins and sleep. Make sure they’re as healthy as you can get them. Even if it doesn’t prevent the sickies completely, it could very well minimize the intensity of what they do pick up.
• Get a humidifier. I live in a super-dry climate, but even in humid areas, a humidifier and assist their bodies by keeping everything moist and mobile while they sleep.
• Get ‘em something sparkly. To drink, that is. Something good and fizzy will help loosen and break up all that gunk. Around here we have something called “Juice-pop” (Super technical, huh?). I mix orange juice or cranberry juice with either sprite or ginger ale. It works wonders!
• Aromatherapy. If you already have an aromatherapy burner than you’re ahead of the game. Pick up a bottle of peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree oils. Put in 3-4 drops of the tea tree, 2 drops of eucalyptus and one drop of peppermint. It will open up their passage ways, and the tea tree has the added bonus of helping to kill bacteria that’s floating around your house.
• Buy them some cool (and yummy smelling) foam soap that will encourage them to wash their hands. I don’t dare to even discuss the multitude of places that kids put their hands… but they share all those nasty places with each other, so be a stickler for washing!
• A hot bath or sitting in the bathroom while the shower runs hot (for the steam) will loosen up a lot of the crud that they can then get out of their system.
• Last, but certainly not least, make sure you’re there to give them lots of love. Remember too, while most the time this first round of sick is usually viral, if things don’t improve right away get you little rug rat in to see the doctor.

Got any other good tips to share? I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll be back at work and have a few days to recover before my little one gets anything!

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