The Snot-So-Fun Guide to Kid's Respiratory Viruses

Ah, respiratory viruses in kids - nature's way of turning your precious little angels into tiny mucus factories!

The Great Tissue Chase

Ever tried getting a toddler to blow their nose properly? It's like trying to teach a cat to fetch - theoretically possible, but mostly ends in chaos. You'll go through approximately 47,283 tissues, and somehow they'll still manage to wipe their nose on your favorite shirt.

The Midnight Symphony

3 AM: The perfect time for your little one to perform their latest composition, "Coughs and Sniffles in D Minor." This piece includes:

- The dramatic wheeze

- The surprise sneeze (with special effects)

- The seal-like cough that makes neighbors think you're running a zoo

Medicine Time: The Ultimate Battle

Trying to give medicine to a sick child is like attempting to negotiate with a tiny dictator who doesn't speak your language but is fluent in "No!" They somehow develop superhuman strength and the ability to seal their lips tighter than a submarine hatch.

Pro tip: Never wear your good clothes during medicine time. That grape-flavored syrup will find its way onto your clothing through laws of physics not yet discovered by science.

The Daycare Domino Effect

One kid sneezes in daycare, and suddenly you're running a home-based infirmary. It's like a viral version of musical chairs - eventually, everyone gets a turn!

Survival Tips for Parents

- Stock up on tissues like you're preparing for the Covid apocalypse

- Perfect your "steam room" bathroom technique (aka turning your bathroom into a tropical rainforest)

- Master the art of stealth-cleaning a nose while they're sleeping (Warning: Results may vary)

- Develop immunity to the "sad puppy eyes" when it's medicine time

Remember, this too shall pass... probably right about the time your kid's sibling or you start showing symptoms! 🤧

On a serious note though, respiratory season means infections with rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, influenza A or B, or the dreaded RSV and/or Covid

While some of these viruses cause mild symptoms, in babies especially, and in children with asthma or other chronic lung disease, these may just put kids in the hospital or ICU for a few days. If your infant is breathing fast, making loud noises when breathing, sucking in air and working hard to breath, visit your doctor or Ohimaa for a quick review to make sure all is well with your little one. Occasionally, a viral infection can worsen into a bacterial pneumonia. If symptoms are lasting more than 3-4 days and seem to be getting worse, GET CHECKED OUT...an ounce of prevention will be worth the price.

Hafa Adai, Aloha and Happy Hols