Because my son can’t tell me what hurts or blow his nose yet, I prefer to keep sick spells very few and far between. I know, I know. It sounds silly and obvious to say that I don’t want my kid to get sick often, but it’s surprising to me that I don’t hear that much from other parents. The fact that I only have one child probably helps me a good bit in the sick department. There are no siblings in our house to help spread illness. Plus, my son isn’t even two years old yet, so he’s not in school, and he doesn’t go to daycare. Our situation simply doesn’t include as many risk factors as some other situations. And you know what? That’s fine with me. I’ve heard and read things like “…you may as well break the ice and let him be exposed to illness so that he builds up his immune system…”. Huh? Why in the world would I do that to a one-year-old? If you’re a parent, you know how difficult a sick baby can be, and this is mostly due to a lack of communication. A baby can’t explain what he’s feeling and he also can’t blow his nose, which leads to a whole other mess in itself. In addition to the obstacles a sick baby provides a parent, the baby itself is miserable. Basically, it sucks. Although we’ve been fortunate over all, my son has been sick several times. And we’ll deal with an increase in sick spells later when the time comes. For now, I’m going to cherish as many healthy moments as possible.
Do you prefer that your child “breaks the ice” and gets sick in hopes of building his immune system? Or are you using hand sanitizer on yourself and your child every day like me?
Kind Kiddo 