Using a Baby Monitor with a Sick Child

My boys have all been sick the past 2 1/2 weeks.  It started as strep throat with the older two boys and then all three boys got a nasty cold complete with fevers, coughs, a little late night vomiting, and ear pain. 

I have used our baby monitor (It is nothing fancy-just an inexpensive Fisher-Price Sounds ‘N Lights Monitor.) mostly with our oldest son.  (The other two can usually be found in our room at night.)  When he has needed me in the night he hasn’t had to walk down the hall to our room or scream and cry because with the monitor I can every cough and whispered “Mommy”. 

So, don’t throw out or give away your baby monitor just because your children aren’t babies anymore.  I know I have slept better knowing that I can hear my son if he needs me. 

Another item that has been helpful to me with sick children is my otoscope.  I posted about my otoscope last April.  Well, it paid off on Monday night when my oldest son was crying with severe ear pain.  It turns out his ear drum perforated, but had I not had the otoscope I wouldn’t have known this until the doctor’s office opened the next day. 

Having a baby monitor and an otoscope are two tools that have made the past few weeks a little easier.  They work for me and maybe they will work for you as well.  Check out We Are THAT Family for more Works for Me Wednesday posts.