I have no idea if it is evidence-based or not, but when it comes to treating a bad cold, I believe with almost fanatical devotion in the importance of One Full Day of Rest and Fluids.
I always give kids permission to take one such day off when they are really sick — the test of sickness being, “Are you willing to stay in bed and really rest, even if I confiscate all your electronic devices and leave you with nothing but books, a radio, and your pillow?”
I usually give myself permission to take such a day off too. But now I have been ill for about the last ten days of Christmas with a hacking cough that keeps me up at night, a stuffy head that makes it hard to propel air through my vocal apparatus, and assorted aches and pains. I have not yet taken my Day of Rest and Fluids because the holiday season intervened. There was driving, and visiting, and houseguests, and the like.
The first week back at school things still has some of the flavor of holiday, normal rules being suspended, and so I am going to take today, Friday, as my last chance to scrape together a Day of Rest and Fluids.
But I really don’t want to give the kids a complete day off, so we shall see what I can do from bed.
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Mark started me off right by bringing the coffee carafe and a mug up to my bedside. When the 3yo woke up, I sent him downstairs to find my iPad, and he happily curled up next to me watching PBS Kids. Then when my 10yo daughter woke up I sent her to wake the others and feed the 3yo breakfast. Then I had her and the 13yo bring their to-do lists, which I wrote from under the blankets. I have made it so far to 10:24 a.m. without leaving my room.
What about when the coffee runs out, you ask? I am plotting to go downstairs and efficiently perform several necessary tasks in the time it takes to brew the second pot. These will be:
- gather all the school material I need to teach my first-grader from bed, plus some picture books
- hunt through my purse for the roll of masking tape that my oldest two need for art later (kids aren’t allowed to rifle through my purse)
- grab my planning notebook
- secure a supply of fluids (hot water thermos, packets of tea, bottles of energy drink, broth)
- find out what I was planning to make for dinner and determine if any of it requires action before lunch
Then I swear I am going to come back to bed and not leave. I will be teaching algebra, calculus, and first-grade math from bed, thankyouverymuch, not to mention all the readalouds and checking the science workbooks. The rest is up to them, and the magic of checklists.
I have assigned my 13yo to make tuna salad for lunch. I think that covers most of what they need.
And the rest of the time, I guess I will work on stuff like email. And rest and fluids.
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