At the beginning of almost every season, I declare my excitement about the things I love about that particular season. I love spring for the fresh blooms, summer for the warm weather and long days, fall for the inspiration to cook comfort food and winter for the skiing. That being said, I also have things about each season that I hate. The potholes in spring, the bugs during the summer, the messy leaves in fall, and despite the fact that I love to ski, there are too many things about winter that I hate. Most notable is the fact that winter translates to being cooped up inside, and ongoing runny noses.
Yesterday, as my husband and I prepared our house for the winter I felt a sense of sadness looking at my naked backyard. The boy’s play house, water table, and slide are all packed away. The table and chairs are also stored, and all the flowers have been cut down. Instead of stocking up on swim diapers, I will have to buy Kleenex to wipe the boy’s runny nose that will soon start and probably last all winter long.
As a mom of an allergic child I am not alone, friends of mine who are parents of otherwise healthy kids also complain about the winter runny nose. The difference being, to me and anyone else who has a child with asthma, we all know that when a runny nose turns into a full blown cold, we have a big problem. I recognize that I can take some precautions, but the inevitable is going to come. He will get a cold, it will probably settle in his chest and we will probably make several trips to our pediatrician throughout the next few months.
I’ve noticed some kids already have the runny nose and I recognize that it does not necessarily mean the child is sick. Surprisingly, I am not the type to care about the boy hanging out with other kids and their runny noses, but I am the type to care when parents send their kids to school sick. As a mom, I can now appreciate the frustration. It’s unfair for the child, and for everyone else’s children, not to mention the parents and teachers involved. I know that I am considerate when it comes to that, so I can only hope that the other parents are as well. With that being said, if your kid is sick, keep him/her home, also if your kid’s nose is runny, wipe it!
:)
J.
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