Keeping Distance Away from Kids When Parent Is Sick - Husband Does Not Get It

I don't see what difference it makes, you all live in the same house, have been exposed to the same things, honestly what's the point of keeping them away from him? If they (or you) are going to get sick it has already begun.

I probably have a different opinion , than most. I usually don't keep anyone " away" or change routines based on illness. I think that if an illness is transmitted , it most likely happens before symptoms are visible. I think chances are the illness was transmitted from indirect contact. We always stress the importance of hand washing but you can only do so much.

That being said, I would never invite others over when I have sick kids because I know most don't share my theory.

Don't know, I know when I am sick or my kids are sick I still hug and kiss them. I don't cough on them, or wipe my nose and then rub their eyes.

Kids needs hugs.

Granted none of us are ever sick. Well once in a while. My son picked up a virus, he is 13 and this is his first one. I don't even think that kid has had a cold...strange kid.

We figure our son would get sick, snuggling or not. You are in the same house, the germs are literally everywhere. Every nook and cranny. There is no "staying away" when someone is sick, and you share a home. He can be in his room for days, and his germs will be everywhere. We don't really ever (knock on wood) get sick, but my husband does get things from work every once in a while. None of us were worse for the wear, even with snuggles.

I would never expect my husband to not show affection, but that's just me.

You expect your husband not to hug and snuggle kids? Really? We stop sharing cups and lip kisses when someone is sick. But Hugs and snuggles and general proximity? I think thats unnecessary.
Instead, I work extra hard to boost our bodies' natural immunity in our home. Since switching our breakfast food of choice to green smoothies we have had two members of the family get two separate mild colds in 9 months. I have not personally been sick, nor my youngest since making this switch and my children are exposed to groups of kids 3-4 x week. As well my husband is medical and sees sick people all day. Focus on natural immunity rather than isolating kids from their dad. (wash hands, eat lots of fruits and veg, vitamin C, lots of water and sleep, limit sugar)

I still cuddle with my kid when I'm sick. I just avoid kissing her on the mouth.

I think it's pretty much unavoidable for people living in the same house to not share germs or end up getting each other sick. We all share a bathroom, the kitchen, etc. Best we can do is wash our hands a lot, and keep things like surfaces and doorknobs clean. When we get sick with something like a cold, we just avoid kissing on the mouth, but DD will still cuddle with me or her dad. When I did get sick with a 24 hour stomach bug a few weeks ago, I did stay in bed and did not have DD come in there until I felt better. Fortunately, neither her nor my husband got it.

You and the kids kids were exposed before your husband even came down with symptoms. In fact, one of you may have been an asymptomatic carrier that infected him in the first place.

Keeping the kids away now is like shutting the barn door after the cows leave.

obviously no one should be sneezed or snotted on.
but people who cohabitate will share each other's germs.
i'm much more focused on keeping everyone's immune system robust than a fantasy about limiting exposure within a home.
khairete
S.

When we are sick we just kiss on the cheek instead of the mouth, we avoid coughing and sneezing on one another and we wash our hands often. We don't quarantine anyone.

My doctor informed me that we're most contagious in the 24 hours before the symptoms show up. So by the time your DH looks sick, it's too late, he's already exposed everyone in the house to his illness.

Instead of disinfecting the house, use that time to drink some tea and take a nap. Or take vitamin C, whatever you do to boost your immune system.

Here's a link about how it spreads. http://www.schoolfamily.com/school-family-articles/articl...

The snuggling probably isn't that bad, but doorknobs and railings, etc. are the kickers. He shouldn't be kissing all over them, but let them curl up at his feet to watch tv, etc.

Might help them build immunity to it actually! Wash hands, wipe door handles, etc. extra vitamin c and d. Chiropractic adjustments. Stay well!

No, not all husbands act this way, but yours does so stop complaining and deal with it. I'm sure he deals with your stuff too. That's called marriage. All you can do is try to express your reasoning logically without emotion or repetition - that's how to communicate with a man. He apparently disagrees. I agree with your assessment by the way.

We just got a letter home from school today written by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. It says, "If someone in the house is sick, try to keep the sick person in a separate room from others in the household, if possible."

I totally get where you are coming from. Why not do everything in your power to protect your child from getting the flu? The flu can be dangerous even for healthy children.

Um, he is kinda "dense?"
That is my choice, from a multiple choice test on this one!
LOL

Tell your kids to stay away.
Since Hubby can't.
Hubby should go to the Doctor.
Yep, the Flu and Stomach virus, is going around a TON, now. Even in my city.

Wrap your Husband up in a giant wad of Lysol wipes.
If I were you, sleep on the sofa tonight, before he hacks up all over you... all night. Until he is better and not, contagious. ie: has no fever and bodily fluids coming out.

I wash my hands a lot, don't snuggle up with DD the same, and don't kiss her face (I kiss the top of her head). There's only so much you can do. If I'm really really sick, I might spend most of my time in my room away from other people, but as a parent, it's hard to stay totally away from the kids. You can also encourage the kids to use more hand sanitizer and not kiss his face.

Oh my gosh, we maty have the same husband!! We just dealt with this, my husband was sick a few weeks back. Now his thing is he is a guy's guy, doesn't like to be sick, won't go to the doctor, and still wants to help out. Good intentions, but NO! He would come down and put dishes away, get his own snacks (meaning touching everything in the kitchen). I felt badly because I was telling him that I didn't want him down there- trying to sound as if I was just wanting to take care of him, which is partly true, but mostly because I didn't want to follow him around disinfecting everything!

I think it's most guys. They just don't want to be a bother and don't like being sick. Try to convince him that you are happy to get things for him, with the side benefit of not getting everyone else sick. Luckily my hubby was so grumpy when he was sick that he didn't want to cuddle with us any more than we wanted to cuddle with him! I guess you just have to be blunt with that one.

Good luck. I just got done with this, used about a container and a half of disinfecting wipes. My daughter and I managed to avoid getting sick, hopefully you all are just as lucky. Just know I've been there with ya, and sure you will hear the same from others!! Good luck, and hope he feels better!

Yes, my husband is like that too, although it's not the kids that bother me. He usually gets sick from the kids and I think it's probably hard to avoid living in the same house. It's the other people he exposes that drive me nuts. He's been sick and coughing for a month (and doesn't "have time" to go to the doctor). Two of us have tested negative for influenza so thankfully it probably isn't that. But he goes to work and coughs at work, he shakes people's hands unless I tell him not to, and he touched a baby even when I specifically told him not to. I'm so tired of telling him to not shake people's hands (believe me, they'll understand), touch babies, etc.! (About 10 years ago he stayed home from a party we were supposed to attend together because our son had strep. That was the ENTIRE REASON he was home with the kids. He took them for a walk and let him play with another kid!! We barely knew those neighbors at the time and the mom is a nurse. I was horrified when I learned and had him call and warn her and apologize. Fortunately, her kids did not get sick, she forgave us and we are now friends.)

my hub is a bit of a germophob.. so he would not share his germs as mujch.

when the kids were babies we did try to be pretty cautious.. but usually if one family member gets sick.. we all get it sooner or later..

Mine does the same thing, it drives me crazy. He always wants to snuggle the kids when hes sick. They usually dont catch anything from him unless I do though, then we all get sick.

I hate to say this, mom, but actually, your kids can STILL catch this. Incubation periods of the flu are still within the window. He MIGHT have a sinus infection as a secondary infection to the flu virus. If he is hacking up a lung, it could actually be bronchitis or pneumonia.

Can you put him in the car for some "other" purpose and then haul him off to the doctor? So what if he's mad at you. He's putting you ALL in harm's way. He deserves to have to pay the piper, at least a little.

Dawn

Oh do I get this. My ex would take the kids to visit people and they would say 'you better not stay we have the flu' and he would say 'it's okay they get exposed to it in school' and he stayed. BUT..... he only had them every other weekend. I spent a kings ransom on OTC meds for the kids and got them well enough to go visit him agian only for him to get them sick again. I wanted to throttle him.

I would say get some echinacea and zinc and hope for the best.

Yes. The kids are already exposed. It sounds just like what my kids had and that was the flu. But unlike Clay B. commented, you don't have to deal with it because you are married.
The kids should stay clear. It's not right to think that cuddling is ok while one is sick. Kids should be ok in the same room but keep their distance. It teaches the kids that same distance in school and elsewhere when someone is sick.
My husband does the same. I don't stay quiet about it. Although, I hate telling everyone in the house to cover their mouths when they cough and then go wash their hands.

My husband kind of gets it but it's definitely been a work in progress. I don't know how many times I've told my cold-infested husband to go wash his hands after blowing his nose before playing with the kids...especially when they were more toddler and infant age and the kids couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Sometimes I'd see a pile of wadded up tissues sitting on the floor or table and have to get on his case. Just what I want to see...a pile of germ-infested used tissues sitting in a pile in a common area. I keep telling him it's gross and to throw it away or put it in his pocket to throw away later. And then remind him to wipe down the table.