Braden Schiller

Once upon a time I never got sick. The bugs, colds and flus that spread like wildfire through my entire family tree never laid a hand on me. I was invincible.

After a stint as a resident assistant at the University of Wyoming during the height of the Covid pandemic my immune system weakened a little, then I had kids, the little bundles of joy are also bundles of snot, germs and various mystery stains. Now I sneeze, cough and groan consistently during the fall and winter months. 

Colds or the ever-looming threat of them, are constants in our house. They might come at any moment, so my wife and I have learned how to move quickly when they do.

The first thing we’ve learned is to treat the wounded first. Everybody is going to catch the ick so if a parent is down having at least one feeling well is important. If one of the kids is patient zero, it’s essential to brace yourself for late nights, sadness from and for the little one and the inevitability that at least one adult will be getting sick. If possible, working from home to help your fallen partner can go a long way in staying ahead both at home and at work. 

I also begin busting out the home remedies; with an infant and toddler no one gets to rest forever. I always want to, but I’ve learned that’s a good way to be both sick and in trouble. So we gather teas, lemons, honey and cinnamon (a great combo for fighting head and chest colds), electrolyte drinks and bland food to fight back symptoms. And if the wildest child, our toddler, isn’t sick, he still gets teas and lemon water too. Sharing is caring.

After that it helps to move toys to the bedroom or the couch where he can play and I can lie down flat  and complain to my wife about how sick I am while she fights off the first stages of a cold in a much more stoic manner. 

She’s my rock, I’m just a big baby, and I’m no longer invincible.