Money-Wise Monday! - Cold and flu season tips

Funky Monkey back from hospital

   Having two sick kids this week reminded me that it's cold and flu season again. As soon as the school year has started and all their activities are beginning, they bring nasty bugs home. My kids are not only good at receiving cold and flu germs but are excellent at passing them around too. So, usually by the end of one week most of the family is sick, and sometimes other people like friends and relatives. The question is how to deal with the flu and cold bugs before you need a trip to the doctor's office and before you need to administer any medication?
   I have learned the need to tend to sick kids before it escalates in 2006. Funky Monkey got a nasty bug and became sick out of nowhere. It started when we were driving somewhere and all of a sudden he started throwing up. Fever came soon after and Funky Monkey was really sick. Over the next few days he spent most of his day in a bed feeling miserable. I administered fever reducing medication and little bits of food and drink that he would accept. Unfortunately, on the third day, at night, he became lethargic, his eyes became sunken in and he didn't look good overall. At this point he was refusing any liquids and not urinating at all.