Solutions for Sick Day Dilemmas

February finds families in the midst of flu season where Moms are scrambling to stay on track while caring for sick children. Navigating unexpected shifts in your schedule can be challenging, but it is possible. Take a look at our GO MOM!^® solutions for flexible flu days this February and beyond:

• What about Work?
  If you don't have a sick day plan, sit down today and get one! Define a Plan B with your partner on how to navigate sick days in spite of workplace demands. Set guidelines that are fair and accommodating such as alternating days home, taking split shifts on single days, and using flexible leave judiciously. If it's your turn to stay home and you have a deadline that won't wait, go mobile with your work so you can be close to your child while she rests. Think cell phone on a headset, laptop, pda, portable files, and you are on your way. Remind yourself why you are home, and make every effort to keep your briefcase in second place when your child needs you most.

• Who will take me to practice?
  One of the most challenging dilemmas of sick days in active families is how to keep things as close to normal for the rest of your brood while your nurse a child back to health. Often, it's not possible to take those under-the-weather siblings along for car pool or an afternoon at the soccer field, unless of course you want to see them get really sick. So, at the first hint of the flu, check your planner and rearrange your schedule as best you can. Swap car pool duties with a Mom committed the following week, enlist the help of favorite friends and relatives to stand in for you at events your healthy children can't miss, and when you have to, cancel appointments such as a new orthodontist visit until you can be there and be focused. And when it comes to feeding family members who can eat, order groceries online and have them delivered to your door. Remember the BRAT diet in choosing meals and aim for mild aromas to keep everyone satisfied.

• What's in Your Closet?
  No one likes to consider the likelihood, but you never know when the flu will sweep through your house, leaving no one untouched by its ill effects. The best defense is a great offense, and for Moms that means having every supply you can think of to have on hand and ready to go. Go beyond the obvious age appropriate medicines and plan to keep your house sanitary for those who aren't down for the count. Stock two sets of linens per bed, one humidifier and bucket for every family member, and stock each bathroom with disinfectant spray to kill germs where they breed. Stay on top of cleaning surfaces throughout your home, including light switches, phones, game controllers and keyboards. And when it comes back to the bathroom, use the Mr. Clean^® Magic Reach to maximize your cleaning time, tackling five bathroom surfaces with one tool and keeping you free to care for those you love.

• Can I watch TV?
  On a sick day, this question rivals the infamous "Are we there yet?" from the back of your van. Rather than say no, consider it a window of opportunity to share a bit of yourself with your child. Settle in comfortably for an afternoon of unrestricted TV time, but do it together. Introduce your child to the classics you grew up on, like The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Sprinkle in an episode of The Jetson's and you'll be surprised at how entertaining an afternoon of TV Land can be. Sometimes the best medicine a mother can give is her undivided attention. Now that is truly priceless.

GO MOM !NC Founder, Molly Gold, is a 40-year-old mother of three and the creator of The GO MOM!^® product line. Gold is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air media alike. Gold currently serves on Proctor & Gamble's Mr. Clean Team Expert Panel, Cartoon Network's Tickle U Advisory Board and as Family Scheduling Expert at both www.BlueSuitMom.com, and www.NewBaby.com. Gold's work has most recently been featured on NBC's Today Show Weekend Edition, as a contributing author in the newly released, The Experts Guide to the Baby Years, by Samantha Ettus, Women's Health Magazine, and in the February 2007 Family Fun Magazine.