5 Things to Remember When Taking Care of Sick Teens

By Christine Carter

The abdomen flu got here to my home final week. As I took care of my sick teenagers by this brutal, relentless virus, I couldn’t assist however consider all of the occasions we had battled related sicknesses after they have been youthful.

I all the time thought it will be simpler after they have been older and capable of handle higher for themselves. Though nursing little ones by illness is all-consuming and dreadfully exhausting, I realized that caring for sick teenagers may be fairly darn tiring too.

The excellent news is that teenagers know that being sick is part of life everybody should endure. However they nonetheless want our assist in many related methods. Because the chilly and flu season rages on, there some issues you may want to bear in mind if this terrible illness strikes at your home.

5 Suggestions for Taking Care of Sick Teenagers:

1. Your teen will want you to stick with them.

Once they’re wholesome, they like their privateness and independence. Once they’re sick, your teen will beg so that you can be close by as they purge uncontrollably. They’ll need you to carry their hair again from their face, assist sturdy the bowl when they’re too weak, and wipe their face with a moist material in between heaves. They want your sympathetic voice and comforting contact. They need your fixed presence as a result of they’re a multitude, and the very final thing they need is to be alone.

2. Your teen will want you to wash up after them.

When our youngsters are this sick, we will’t count on them to wash up after themselves. Larger youngsters trigger greater messes and it’s as much as us to do the soiled work. We’ll clear the toilet whereas gagging and fill the washer with dirty garments, bedding, and towels, again and again till the sickness passes.

3. Your teen will want your encouragement.

My teenagers have been most fearful about two issues: whether or not they have been going to die from their sickness and in the event that they have been going to overlook something actually essential whereas they have been sick. It was on me to supply the fixed assurance that they weren’t going to die regardless of how they felt. They have been each pissed off and dissatisfied about lacking out on some occasions. However they realized the significance of acceptance and suppleness when life throws you astray.

4. Your teen shall be needy throughout their restoration.

As soon as the puking stops, they’re nonetheless too sick to do a lot else besides lie round groggy and grumbling about lingering pains and being bored. For those who’re smart, your teen has been secluded of their bed room in a determined try to preserve the illness from spreading to the remainder of the household. Your normally impartial teen will yell for you, textual content you, and name you, about each quarter-hour to see what you’re doing, if you’re arising, or ask you for one thing.

5. You’ll nonetheless fear.

Though it’s simpler when our youngsters can talk about their illness, it doesn’t reduce the fear we really feel. Whereas caring for our sick teenagers, we fear about missed sports activities occasions, misplaced follow time earlier than their live shows, or piling college work that must be made up. We fear about them attempting to catch up, sustain, and get again into the sport. And, as soon as they’re on the street to restoration, we fear about catching their darn illness, too.

Does your teen know how you can care for themself?