Saturday, September 16, 2006

Housekeeping Tip

For a nice, "just waxed" shine on your wooden floors, try a coat of Dimetapp Cold and Allergy. As an added bonus, the grape flavor gives your home a delightful, fruity smell.

How would I know this?

It all began a few days ago, after the beautiful autumn weather settled in and brought with it cool breezes, falling leaves...

...and allergies.

All of my children have seasonal allergies, but Brother and Baby have it the worst. Brother takes Claratin, so his have been somewhat tempered. Baby has been miserable. She's had a cough and hasn't been able to breathe well, which means she doesn't sleep well, which means I don't sleep well.

And that is a problem.

I hate having to give my children medicine and will wait as long as I possibly can. With Baby, I've tried to keep the Dimetapp to naptime and bedtime.

But it hasn't been enough.

I've had to up the dosage to every 4-6 hours. Problem is, I didn't consult her before I began this process, and she is very unhappy about the decision. In order to convince me of her extreme displeasure, she has taken to screaming, flailing, hitting, clenching her mouth closed, spitting out what little gets in her mouth and just generally refusing to take part in the medication ritual.

Beautiful, tender moments to cherish forever and always.

So around midnight last night, after two hours of her tossing, turning, snorting and coughing, I decided I might as well wrassle her down and try to get a little something in her. I was exhausted after two days of not getting much sleep and in no mood for games.

I take her to the kitchen, where I have the plastic, measuring spoon thingie and sit her down in a chair. She cries while I get the Dimetapp and pour it into the spoon. Thinking perhaps she might be tired and disoriented enough to actually cooperate, I come at her smiling, offering the sticky, grape liquid as though it were mint chocolate chip ice cream cone.

Apparently I was the one who was disoriented.

She immediately turns her head and lets out a shriek of disapproval.

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

I take her in my arms and put the wrestling hold on her, pinning her hands down and positioning her head between my arm and shoulder.

Oh, but she's obstinate.

She spits it out, letting it run down her neck and into her hair. She got some, but I don't know how much. She needs more, but I don't know how much more.

I'm tired.

I'm sick of fighting her.

I'm frustrated with the whole thing.

I just want to sleep.

So, what do I do?

The thing most helpful to the situation.

The mature thing.

I do what any rational, thoughtful parent would do.

I throw things.

I first throw the plastic spoon against the wall. But it was too light. It didn't make a nice "thud". So I chuck the bottle of Dimetapp. It bounces off the wall and into the floor.

Not good enough.

I pick it up and throw it again.

This time it makes a great thud. So great it pops the lid off the childproof bottle and the bottle goes rolling into the living room. All the way across the room to the front door, leaving a sweet, purple trail.

After bathing Baby and mopping the floor, we got to bed around 1:00 a.m., where we both slept most soundly.

Weird. My floor is shiny.

13 comments:

MamaTeeThree said...

Oh, how I feel your pain! I've been there, right down to the throwing of small objects, except the small object I threw made a hole in the wall... oops! That just made it worse. Stupid manufactured house.

Laura said...

You poor thing... we are all sick here as well (including 3 trips to the doctor for the stuffy nose cough thing) and I completey relate. Only now I am shoving icky tasting Augmentin down the almost-2-YOs throat. One dose down, only 19 more to go... Yeah, us!

But I'm glad your floor is shiny - two birds with one stone, huh?

Sandi said...

I know when I finally get to point where I have to throw something and act like a crazy person my kids finally sit up and take notice. This helps things go smoothly for a few days. And frankly I feel better after blowing off steam. Amazing that the art of throwing stuff isn't found in parenting books. But it works

Melzie said...

Aww I've been there and done that! My middle child would throw up every medicine ever made and I'd have to figure out how to redose etc. As for the throwing..uh yeah. New storm door, new coffee mug a few yrs ago...oopsie. melzie

Michelle said...

Been there, done that! I do agree with the syringe thing, however you may want to try the quick dissolving tablets. They are gone practically when the put them in their mouths and for some reason my kids were much more willing to take those.

(Btw, I found your blog through clicking on others, which originated from Lisa Welchel's sending me to Sara's In the Midst of it and so on and so forth!)

Allison said...

after all that you mopped the floor....you are my hero. I would have totally left it for the morning....and that meaning my husband.

Oh, with my little girl (18 months) she refused and still refuses any medication I try and give her...until my son told me "mom, let me try" I'm thinking you are 3 buddy....but.... and thank God.....it worked.

He know gives her any medication she might need. A little odd, but it works everytime!

Jessica said...

So my pediatrician suggested this method... place her on the floor, put your knees on her arms, hold her nose, use a med dropper and skirt the medicine in the back of her throat... she'll swallow because she'll want to breathe... sounds abusive, I know... but I have had to do it a few times!

Pedicare also makes some strips that disolve on their tongue! Good luck!

Diana said...

We've had plenty of wrestling matches in my house...never ending in shiny floors though!
We use the "two-parent attack", where Hubby hold him down and I squeeze the cheeks, as daddyman suggests. It's noisy and there are a lot of tears, but the medicine goes down.

Kristin said...

You are hilarious! I have done similar things myself. It will get better! Thanks so much for the chuckle this morning. :)

Musings of a Housewife said...

Oh I'm so glad I'm not the only one that reaches that point!!

Gwendolyn said...

Okay. I had the same problem with my youngest. Here's what you do. Lay them face up on the floor. Sit down with their head between your legs so that their legs are kicking away from you and their arms are under your legs, being careful of course not to hold them down too tightly. This way they can't get away from you. Use one hand to hold face still and mouth open and the other to squirt the syringe full of medicine in the mouth. Hold their mouth closed till they swallow. It sound cruel, but letting them go on until they get a full blown sinus infection is worse.

Tara said...

This is a late breaking comment, but I find that offering an M&M or jelly bean chaser makes the medicine go down much smoother! When my firstborn had his tonsils taken out at the age of 2 it took 3 adults (two of whom are near the 300 lb mark) holding him down on the kitchen floor to get a squirt of tylenol with codine in him!!!

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha! This just cracked me up. I have a 10 month old that refuses her antibiotics. SO frustrating.

The funniest thing I ever threw was my breast pump, complete with a half full bottle of breast milk attached. It broke, and there was milk all over the wall, the buffet and the carpet. I don't even remember why I threw it now...