Parenting while sick

It’s truly cold & flu season around my area (and apparently gastro too, though I’m in denial about that one because I don’t even want to entertain the thought of it – we all got gastro LAST year and oh my gosh. No.) and we’ve all been coming down with something one after the other. As soon as one gets better, then the next one gets sick. After a full cycle through our home, the first one gets a new strain of something.

So basically, you know, it’s been a barrel of laughs around here since early September.

What’s most frustrating is that the two kids seem to bounce back much faster than we do. Is it the age factor? Older cells or something? Because while I’m glad that they get better quickly – who enjoys seeing their kids sick after all? – they also forget very quickly. They forget how awful they felt when they were feverish or coughing, sneezing or shivering, dealing with headaches or sinus pain. They get better and they want to play! They want stories! They want more snacks! They want to go out! They want to fight with each other! They want want want!

And meanwhile Mom or Dad or both? Are dying of the same plague they just had. My husband is really under the weather right now, coughing so hard it makes him sick (yes, I’ve told him to take his behind to a doctor, maybe Monday). I’m not technically sick yet but I can feel it coming. I’m excessively thirsty even though I’m still drinking plenty of water. I’ve been going to bed late because of work so I’m tired, but I feel more “run-down by a truck” tired than just “I should go to bed an hour earlier” tired. I know it’s coming, I can tell by the fog in my head.

Alas, my kids are both feeling perky as heck. Should be fun. At least if we all have to be sick we could just be sick together and all lie around together, no?

How do you deal with healthy kids when you’re sick? I totally confess to non-standard treats as snacks and copious amounts of cartoons just so I can rest, and I self medicate with hot showers and hot tea. Your tips?