Children really are a blessing. They are joyous and completely change your life with their energy, enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder. They also produce some of the most terrifying moments of your life. Caring for kids can be overwhelming at times. It only takes them wandering away from you in a supermarket just once for you to never want to let go of their hand again. One second they are there, and you turn away for just a moment, and they manage to completely disappear. When you eventually find them you want to hug them and shout at them at the same time. It is not really their fault. They, thankfully, do not realize what the potential dangers might be.
Another sometimes stressful thing about children is when they are unwell. All you want for a child when it is born, and for the rest of their life, is for them to be healthy and happy. The reality of life is that no one is always, at every moment, healthy and happy. Children are no different. There is reason to be optimistic though. We are living in the best possible time in history for healthcare. Scientists learn more and more everyday about how to help this ailment or solve that one and their understanding will only increase. Technology has played a great part in this too. Kids, as they grow and change, will have all sorts of things that go a bit askew. Fortunately, there are also ways to help them. Here are few to be aware of:
Running a Fever
Perhaps the most common, and for many parents, the most alarming problem is a child with a high temperature. It causes such concern because everybody knows that it is a sign that something is wrong somewhere. A high temperature is never good, but there are ways to bring it down without a trip to the doctor or hospital. You can purchase over the counter medicine, a cool damp washcloth on the forehead, popsicles, ice cream or a few ideas. If the temperature remains at 104 degrees or higher consult your pediatrician immediately. The fact remains, it is difficult seeing them in pain, especially since they themselves do not understand it.
Developmental Progress
Aside from infrequent illnesses like fevers, another pressing concern while caring for kids is a child’s developmental progress. Autism is in the news a lot because of claims that certain vaccines may have caused it in some children. However, an issue that gets less attention is speech development. It can have a massive impact on a child’s entire life. Technology now allows children to get treatment with experts around the country through online calls. There are lots of helpful telepractice resources that you can read. Treat speech development problems early.
SIDS
On a particularly positive note, science has helped reduce SIDS deaths (or crib death as it is sometimes known) by half by encouraging parents to put their children to sleep on their backs. It is not understood why, but children who sleep on their back rather than their stomach are at a reduced risk.
While parents will never stop worrying, there is more reasons to be optimistic now than ever before. We hope that you found our tips on caring for kids beneficial.
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