So, here’s the deal. I’m not a very good care taker. At all.
The Hubs either has the flu or a very bad cold (getting tested tomorrow to determine which). Either way, he’s a coughing, ear-plugged, nose-blowing, body-aching mess. He can’t hear right now, so he has the TV blaring as he moans on the couch and refuses to go to bed. I have to work until 11, so I’m just doing my best not to smother him to put him (me) out of his (my) misery.
Then you add in sweet Scorch. The plague is going around the kid’s school- a fun mix of the flu, strep and the stomach bug. Last Friday, there were 9 people plus the teacher out sick from Scorch’s class alone. Oddly enough (knock on wood), my kids have thus far stayed healthy*. Completely hale and hearty, which is awesome. But that doesn’t stop Scorch from worrying. A lot. And when Scorch worries, he talks and paces and talks some more.
Do you think I’m sick?
What if I get sick?
Everyone else is sick, I could get sick too.
Do I have a fever? Can you check? Where is the thermometer?
My stomach hurts. Do you think I’m sick or do you think I’m just nervous.
Feel my cheeks- do I feel like I have a fever yet?
Over and over and over, people. I try really, really hard to be sympathetic. Usually I succeed for the first 5 minutes, then I start running out of answers because no matter what you tell Scorch, it doesn’t matter. He’s still going to be nervous. Today I told him he could stay home from school, which I thought would make him feel better. Nope, he wanted to go to school. But he didn’t want to get sick there. So what should he do? We debated this for 2 hours (from 5:30 – 7:30 am) until he decided to go to school 15 minutes before we had to leave.** I’d like to say I was compassionate, understanding and the picture of calm this whole morning, but at one point I may have screeched to him “what do you want me to say? I don’t live in your stomach!”
Parenting and marriage – glamor and sunshine 24/7.
*Now that I put this out in the universe, I full expect the plague to fully hit our house within the next 24 hours.
**The kiddo had a wonderful day- no sign of illness at all once he got past his nervousness. He even crushed it at baseball tonight.
Wickedly Crazy Awesome Life 
Ugh, I am not a good care-taker either. Husband: “Good thing you decided against being a doctor, you’re MEAN to sick people.” (no, I’m just mean to giant babies who whine about a cold ;))
I feel for Scorch too. I have a really hard time not going to the Dark Place when Pacey gets a cough…for so long it meant hospital stays every time and I just get so tense about it. That and barfing. Any exposure to barfing flu and I automatically start assessing everything I eat for potential grossness if it comes back up. I’m so happy for him that he has your help and support dealing with anxiety…I wish my parents had realized it was a problem for me sooner!