To Stay Home or go to Work? That is the Question

Sick kids all winter long, that is the part of winter that I like the least. I will take snowsuits and scraping windshields any day over runny noses, fevers and walk-in clinics. It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mom, or some combination in-between: if you have kids, they are going to get sick.

Robert Munsch said it best with the title of one of his books, "We Share Everything!". And isn't that what we tell kids all the time, to share? But not when it comes to germs. You can disinfect every surface of your house and wash tiny hands 11 times a day, but our efforts are futile. The next thing you know, you see a little glimmer near a nostril, and what comes next is no surprise.

But the real kick in the pants is that we now have a plethora of choices to make. Should I make a doctor's appointment or go to a walk-in clinic (yuck)? Should I stay home from work, or send them to the sitters? Should I take my kids to another child's birthday party, or stay home (boo!)? Antibiotics to treat the cause, or do we simply let it runs its course? How are we to know? Are there any right or wrong answers in this situation?

On top of the fevers, Tylenol, sleepless nights and crankiness, now we are forced to make some tough decisions. And other than being drunk, there is no worse time to make decisions than when you are are sleep-deprived and stressed out. And this vicious cycle continues from mid-October until spring, at least that seems to be the pattern in my house. Maybe we should be more like bears and hermits and cut ourselves off from the world for a few months. We could take a leave from work, get a six month supply of Kraft Dinner and Tang, and home school the kids in the kitchen. Maybe I will pilot this idea and let you know if it works.