'Tis the Season for the Sniffles

This time of year always ushers in dread as cold fronts bring with them biting winds that drive everyone in doors. With the minions all going to school (the youngest in daycare), these little petri dishes manage to bring home every cold, stomach bug, and flu out there. Thank goodness they have been vaccinated against antique diseases, otherwise we probably would have lost minion Number 2 to pneumonia all Oregon Trail style after attempting to ford a river.

Recently I learned, that it is not the cold itself that makes us sick; as my grandmother told me (yours probably told you too) "You'll catch your death of cold!"

But from what I have learned the cold temperature itself does not make you sick. Germs make you sick. Cold temperatures can make things a little more difficult for your body's immune system to respond and fight off those invaders, but for the average person in decent health (not the really young, really old, or those with otherwise already compromised immune systems) the affect of colder temperatures on the body remains negligible. The more likely behavior that explains why winter heralds in as the season of sickness is that people spend more time indoors. It is too cold to go outside. There aren't as many daylight hours in the days surrounding the winter solstice. This increases our proximity to other carriers *ahem* I mean, family members which increases our changes of contracting a pathogen our bodies have not yet had.

Here is a fun and informative video from ASAP Science explaining the same concepts above in more detail.

I remember my first winter in college. I was the sickest I had ever been. I don't even remember what it was that I had. I just remember running a really high fever for several days. The fever was so high that my eyes would water and the tears would feel almost boiling hot. I was concerned with how high the fever was to the point that I would only sleep with someone in the room to watch me ( I was afraid it would get to the point that I was delirious. I would tell you the exact temperature however, my college dorm kit did not include a thermometer. I only remember when I finally went to the clinic on campus after missing a full week of classes, and they took my temperature there, the nurse exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, you are running a fever of 102."

I looked at her and said "Oh really? That's concerning, considering this is the best I have felt all week."

I firmly believe that if a thermometer had been included in my "off to college" kit, I would have checked my temperature at least once and my room mate would have forced me to go to the campus clinic much sooner. Since I try to make sure that there is always at least one thermometer in the house, whether or not I can find it is a different story as my minions find taking their temperature amusing.

A thermometer is just a thermometer. They are all the same and just measure your body temperature.

At least I used to think so. That was before I had my first child and before he ran his first fever. I have learned the value of quick read thermometers, especially when you have a sick non-cooperative toddler who does not believe you when you say that you need to take their temperature to figure out how sick they are.

FamFave has created a quick read thermometer and one of the best features about it (other than the speed which provides results in about 10-25 seconds) is the large and well lit display. Now low light in a room you have designated as the sick bay is no longer an issue as the green back light allows you to quickly retrieve the measured temperature. FamFave had definitely won over this mom of three with this thermometer.

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Click on the picture to the left, add the item to your shopping cart and then enter the promotional code T53OFF4U at checkout to receive the item for the promotional price of $7.97. That is a 53% discount off the regular price of $16.97. And remember, Prime members get free shipping items shipped from Amazon. Satisfaction guaranteed - 100% money back guarantee - no-hassle refund available, just contact Amazon if you are unsatisfied for any reason.

As always, comments, questions, suggestions, and feedback are always welcome. Please remember to follow the blog and register your email address at the top of the page to have updates sent directly to your email inbox so you never miss a post.

Disclaimer: Any product mentioned in this blog may have been received for free or at a discount in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed above are my own regardless of how the item was acquired.

Shared TV Time with the Kiddos

Television time for children has been a hot debate ever since the TV box was produced to be accessible within the home. Several studies over the years have been conducted many of which have had conflicting results. I personally take a viewpoint similar to the Canadian musician Raffie.

Young children need to be able to run around to develop motor skills and they need to be able to interact with real people in order to develop communication and social skills. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than age 2 and recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day. The Mayo Clinic wrote an article regarding the necessity of limiting children's television time, the effects of too much television time on children's health, as well as some tips and strategies on how to limit that time. You can read the full article HERE.

I know that we are supposed to limit TV time for children, and for the most part I feel that I do an alright job at that. My children have limited TV exposure before the age of 2, and like Number 3, most of my kids were always more interested in running around than sitting and watching TV.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that all television is bad. My mindset falls in line with the philosophy of The Child Development Institute.

It’s Not All Bad!

Since television is definitely here to stay, parents need to look at it as a resource and not necessarily as a menace. A good way to start is to consult the listings of the public television stations which offer magnificent programs on nature, literature, history, current events, the arts, etc. Also, consider:

•  Studies have indicated that television does increase the general vocabulary of children, especially when it involves term referring to outer space.
• Television does provide opportunities for children to learn about all kinds of things, although whether they do so to any great extent depends largely on the specific programs the child actually watches.
• Television can increase a child’s range of interest since it exposes him to a variety of activities and topics he might not otherwise encounter-archeology, science of all kinds, architecture, music, etc.
• Television has probably been the most effective of all the mass media in making people aware of a wide range of human problems ranging from pollution to homelessness. It also has increased awareness and acceptance of various kinds of illness, both physical and mental.

Read more: http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/family-living/kids-media-safety/television/#ixzz3pFrBZLVU

I generally limit the TV time for the older two kiddos. Not because I am concerned about how much they watch, but more because stuff needs to get done first (ei: homework or picking up a little). What TV time they do get, I get involved in. I know what shows they are watching and what type of content is in them. For the most part I like the shows they watch. Sometimes, though, the shows can get to me with how repetitive they get.

Some days I want to pull my hair out if I have to hear the screeching of the children with British accents sing about Thomas and his friends.

Now, my older children are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. (Not to toot my own horn, or anything.) I will never forget the evening when I was channel surfing for a tolerable show for my oldest and I to watch before bed. As I was flipping through the channels heading to the usual channels he watches, he tells me to wait and stop on a channel well before we get to his usual line up.

My son sat mesmerized as the screen flashed machinery left and right of an assembly line. I asked if he wanted to continue looking for a show and he replied "No, I want to watch this.". That show was How It's Made.

Another show that my kids like to watch with me, I introduced them to it. It is a cooking show that matches science with fun cinematography. That show is Good Eats. Alton Brown the show's star and creative engine finds fun within the scientific explanations of food in a way that my children can relate to. I started watching Good Eats back in 2005/2006 and I will watch it every chance I get. My children have grown to love the show too and if given the choice, will choose it over any cartoon.

In the clip above Alton Brown consults with a relative of the famous Cookie Monster on the intricacies of baking cookies and why cookies can turn out in various ways (chewy, thin and crispy, cake-like and crumbly) even though it is all the same basic recipe.

Sadly though, Good Eats is no longer in production. It did have a very long run and has since (much to my and my children's delight) been released on Netflix. If you have a Nexflix subscription you can watch them HERE. If you have not checked them out before, I would highly recommend you do.

If nothing else, the two shows that I have discussed, created some common ground for me and my kids. It is something that we can all agree on when it comes to our TV time, and that creates one less battle for me to have to fight.


As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome! And remember to follow Reviewing Whirlwind and sign up for email updates at the top of the page so you never miss a post!