By Dr. Brent Lipke DC

 Every parent at one time or another has had the heart-aching task of dealing with a child in agony from an ear infection.

Traditionally antibiotics have been given to remedy this.  Yet, research in the Lancet Medical Journal suggests that 88% of children never need antibiotics, and in those that receive them the risk of reocurrence is high.

Chiropractic care, on the other hand has been found to be both safe and effective at decreasing pressure on the nerve supplying the Eustachian tube, which drains the middle ear to the back of the throat.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL  the Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

 I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

We have a some what typical living situation for these days.  Our family consists of a little girl (did you know that the new norm  is 1.8 children, not 2.5?), my mother, my husband and me.  Both my mom and Mr. Malakoa are insomniacs.  Today my daughter got in to my bed some time between 1:30-2.  She is pretty sick.  She’s been coughing and coughing.  I try to prop her up so the mucus isn’t draining unto her throat but it doesn’t work.

This whole sickness thing is not good for us for a number of reasons.  Number one is that my poor baby is sick and her skin is fiery hot.  Number two is that I need sleep.  I’m not like most bipolar folks who have trouble sleeping.  Most of the time I crawl in to bed and almost immediately go to sleep.  I stay like that for eight to ten hours.  It’s a good thing.  I need that sleep.   If I don’t get enough sleep my mood can start cycling.  I go rapidly from being depressed to being high.  This sort of thing can last for weeks or months.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

Tonight, however, things are not working as desired.  I curled my body around my little girl trying to both cool her off and keep her warm.  No stop of the  coughing though, and she’s still burning up.  She likes the taste of Tylenol and I don’t want her to.   I want medicine to be considered (Since I take six different prescription medications, I can’t have a double standard on that one) but not to be the only thing considered.  I pray for her and want her to pray for herself.  Prayer is the first and last step, and I believe it should coast along her path of healing until she is well.  And after that.  I want to mention I’m not adverse to giving her the meds, I just don’t want them to be the only way to get well – the only thing in her doctor’s bag should not be a drug.

All that to say this.  I’m in bed, not asleep with a little coughing little girl.  I decide I’m done with night-time parenting and go to find Mr. Malakoa.  As usual, he’s asleep on the couch.  Ever since the burglary he has done this.  He’s protecting us.  And he’s fast asleep.  I’m happy for him, but darn!  Why is tonight the night he sleeps soundly?

I tried my mom as well.  She claims to get about four hours of sleep a night. I  snuck down the hall, opened the door and peeked in.  Again, she is not moving, so much that you’d think she was dead.

So, the only good sleeper in the house is blogging just after 3 am.

Do I have anything witty or kind or encouraging to say?  No.

I’m reminded of the verse, from Corinthians,  ”My grace is sufficient for thee. for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutors, in distresses for Christ’s sake. for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

My daughter is not there yet, philosophically.  Who knows if she ever will be.  But these verses, I think, aren’t talking about a cold, they’re talking about things one suffers for the sake of Christ, not for the sake of a little virus.  (Or a big virus, if you consider the effect it’s having on the both of us.).  There are people who read this blog who are irreligious, agnostics, and a various other belief systems.  I say, “Welcome!  Come one come all!”  Sometimes it works out and we have either a great relationships in real life or online.  Other times I’ll get all kinds of nastiness I have to moderate out.   Some folks might say that I’m suffering persecution.  I don’t think I am.  If I was shot by a disgruntled reader, or arrested and taken to jail, I mean, that would be a true infirmity.  I’m not buying that my blog is brining me suffering.  My feedback is shocking sometimes, or confusing.  (Why would you take time reading a blog that is markedly Christian if you were totally hostile to beliefs that are different than yours?  I am delighted to have you, but consider yourself in my mental home.  Why be a jerk ?  I don’t go in to your blog and try to share the Four Spiritual Laws)

I believe my bipolar + can be used suffering for Christ’s sake.  I’m not raking in the converts, but I believe my suffering is being used to help others heal, and that helps me to heal.  This isn’t limited to the church.  I am here on the web, I am in mental health programs and I’m at school with my daughter.  While none of these places have served to make me sicker (except maybe my daughter’s school.  That teacher is a train wreck.) I think being able to function effectively, despite the illnesses.   I can work, write and love even though I have a type of mental illness considered the worst to treat.  I’m bipolar every day, but it’s to provide comfort to others.  I’ve talked about being a ‘rib’ before, one that helps protect the heart and inner organs so healing can begin.  I still think of my self that way.

Nancy Lefko is a mixed-media artist in New Hampshire.  She is also, like me, a stay at home mom.  So, I really identified with this great piece that she created while tending a sick child.

Be sure to check out Nancy’s blog and her Etsy shop.

http://nancylefko.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/collageartgirl

Careful, it's contagious!

I’m sorry to report that my daughter seems to have had the dreaded H1N1 flu.  Well, at least I think it was the fearsome, extra scary flu.  I didn’t have her tested because they’re just not testing for it here anymore.  Weird, huh?  Apparently, if you get sick or your child(ren) get sick, and you have a fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose, everyone assumes you have H1N1.  Really?  Yes.  Whether it’s a normal cold or another virus, health officials will all tell you the same thing: “It’s probably H1N1, so we’re just going to say it’s H1N1.”

I talked to our pediatrician, checked their website, checked our county’s health website, checked the CDC’s website and all of them told me the same thing.  Keep her hydrated, give her Tylenol for fever, limit her contact with others, wash my hands frequently and make sure everyone, patient and housemates alike, get lots of rest.  I was instructed to bring her to the doctor or hospital only if she had trouble breathing or turned blue.  Yikes!  Thank goodness that didn’t happen!  I made the mistake of telling her she would go to the doctor if her lips or nail beds turned blue.  After that, she spent quite a bit of time alternating between looking in the mirror at her lips or staring at her fingernails.  Note to self:  don’t tell the kids scary stuff about their health anymore!

My poor little girl was a very good patient.  Her fever peaked at 103, but she remained fairly cheerful and not too demanding.  I set up the infirmary in our master bedroom.  She had a bedtray with her ever-present Propel, a rotating array of tempting snacks (including popsicles), a mug of hot tea, berry flavored throat lozenges and, of course, the tv remote.  She spent many quality hours with her laptop and we watched (and re-watched) all her favorite television shows, back-to-back.  I think it was a little like heaven to her, even though she wasn’t feeling well.

If I were to give out any advice to anyone else with sick kids it would be this:  don’t panic.  H1N1 sounds so scary, but in researching the facts, I found that it’s potential to be fatal isn’t higher than other seasonal flu varieties that come and go.  Of course, it should be taken seriously, but try not to freak out.  Keep a good eye on your little patient.  Make well sure they stay hydrated, as dehydration is one of the scariest aspects and can make their health really spiral downward.  Keep them comfortable, let them stare at the tv or computer if that makes them happy.  Remember, this too, shall pass (read – they won’t be home forever and will soon be well enough to go back to school so you can get back to your normal routine!)

My daughter came to our bed this morning, complaining of a bad tummy and a headache. We let her sleep it off a bit till lunch… after all, classes got suspended again because of an incoming typhoon. When she woke up though, she had a fever and went straight to the bathroom to throw up. We asked her to eat after about 20 minutes, but she only managed two bites before throwing up anew.

I am quietly panicking again. Not knowing what’s wrong is what’s killing me, so we’re leaving for the doctor in a few minutes. Hopefully, it’s just one of those not-so-serious bugs.

And just to get my mind off things, here are some more “heart” shots from yesterday:

My son started feeling pain at age 11. I would give anything to go back in time and erase the FOUR years he suffered and bled into the toilet before we caught it and he was diagnosed.

I know what you’re thinking, “Four years? How could she not notice?” But I didn’t see any traces of blood, and so I didn’t know what questions to ask. Most of his symptoms are internal, painful, and suffered behind the bathroom door.

This is Crohn’s disease. And it hits hard between the ages 11 to 16, mostly boys. He was so young, he told me later, he just thought it was normal. If we had only talked about it… just once! God only knows the pain we may could have avoided. Maybe it wouldn’t have gotten so bad that he became dehydrated and anemic from the disease.

It comes on gradually, bringing blood loss and pain. Remove it and it can come back somewhere else. Some pills help, some pills make it worse. Temporary relief is the best you can hope for. It will never go away. I hate it with the same passion that I love my son, and for the rest of my life, I will probably be working so he can have medical care. Although he has had surgery, and watches his diet, he barely weighs over 100 pounds. His body doesn’t absorb any of the nutrients he puts into it.

He wanted to be a chef before all this happened. But he can barely eat.

Social Security Disability is not a dream I had for his future. So I worry … how his sick body will limit his brilliant mind from doing all the things he is capable of, how it will steal time by slowly suffering while the world goes on outside. I am disgusted at how our supposedly great country is not capable, or willing, to help someone in his position. And if we have to drive to Canada or swim to Amsterdam for free health care, we will do it.

Most of all, before anything else, I just want his pain to stop. If there were deals with the devil, my soul would be gone, just to see him healed. If prayers were answered… well, they apparently aren’t. I look at other teenagers, in their first cars, having a good time, eating ice cream at Sonic, and I hate Crohn’s disease. I look at other parents and think, “I hope you appreciate the fact that your child is healthy.”

All the things my son is missing cannot be replaced… I can only be his worried and dedicated advocate, his caretaker, his nurse, and most of all, his mother. But I cannot be his cure. It might not kill him. But it is killing me.

Sometimes circumstances force a family to slow down.

Like the flu.

If your family is forced to stay home thanks to H1N1 or some other flu bug, this may be your chance to live a temporarily less-frenzied life.

Here are some ideas for you to experiment with on the days you’re stuck at home:

• Set out a puzzle and encourage everyone to place a few pieces throughout the day.
• Start a read-aloud book.
• Have tea time mid-morning or in the afternoon. Take tea, water (or a drink with electrolytes) to the sick ones along with a simple little snack. Take it on a tray and it’ll seem rather fancy, even if the snack is just toast with jam.
• Bake some whole grain bread or a casserole that smells nourishing and comforting.
• If those who are feeling sick can come to the table for dinner, spiff things up with a tablecloth and candles. Just because someone’s sick doesn’t mean dinner can’t be special. (If mom or dad are the sick ones, ask an older sibling to set the table nicely. My 8- and 11-year-olds enjoy this task and take it seriously, making place cards and adding a little centerpiece.)
• Turn on soft music to create a soothing ambiance both for dinner and all day.
• Get a classic film from the library to watch together—they’re so much slower paced than recent films.
• Or … enjoy doing nothing. Sometimes the best thing for a frenzied family to do when forced to slow down is just rest and relax.
• Go to bed early without watching the late-night news.
• After running a lukewarm bath to cool down the sick ones, scrub down the tub and draw some nice, warm water (toss in some bath salts) for the primary caregiver to ease him or herself into it.
• If you’re staying up with a feverish child, spend some of those hours in prayer.

If you find yourself forced into a slow-down situation, make the most of it.

And get well soon!

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Get to know Ann Kroeker better at annkroeker.com

Sometimes it becomes very difficult to entertain a sick child. He used to be more irritable and bored. But, for the parents they have to keep nourished and entertained him. Here are few tips on how to keep your sick child busy in games and forget his pain.

Young children love “Finger Fairies.” They can be drawn or traced on heavy white paper. Two fingers are inserted into the holes in the body to take the place of legs. You can make the finger fairy walk or dance up your arm or over the bedspread. And the fairy can tell Junior it is time for this or that. As soon as the youngsters get acquainted with your finger fairies they’ll want some of their own. Draw one for the young invalid, except that you make the holes to fit his fingers. He’ll love marching it up and down.

The mailman can help you with your sick child too. Drop postal cards in the mail addressed to the invalid. If you have time and the knack you can write little letters or draw funny pictures for the bed-ridden one then mail them. They’ll be ever so much more interesting if they come through the mail. The arrival of the mailman will help break the day’s monotony.

Let your imagination run riot. When you enter the sickroom don’t always be just plain Mother. Be a lady coming to call or the garbage man stopping in for a chat. Before you know it Junior will become another person maybe a king or a queen, and you’ll have to curtsy when you enter the room. Chuckles will greet you instead of whines if you catch his fancy in this game.

The radio can be your child’s friend, but for Heaven’s sake watch what programs he is listening to or he may wear himself out listening to too many thriller-dillers. Beside the puzzle we spoke of there are many kinds of handwork that are diverting. All of this equipment can be served on trays as needed. Scissors and paste, modeling clay, crayons, paper dolls, mosaic blocks, soap for carving, and doll furniture. The doll furniture can be made by the youngster or for the youngster out of safety-match boxes and cardboard and heavy paper.

Whatever you do, don’t fail to be proud of the results of Junior’s efforts. Even though his work turns out to be very poor, remember that he needs encouragement and praise. It doesn’t matter how well he carves a horse, what a count is that he is busy carving. When mealtime rolls around be sure that the helpings on his plate are small. It’s very discouraging to face a big plate of food when your appetite is skittish. It’s easy to fold a sheet of paper and pin it tepee fashion to set over his plate. He’ll think it lots more fun eating a meal the Indians left.

Here’s hoping all your children will stay well, but if they should be laid up don’t let the worry and work keep you from bringing play activities to the child. For a busy child is a happy child, and a happy child recovers more quickly.

You little miss, should not lie

especially to your mom about being

sick because it breaks her heart

and makes her pace.  It is bad for mommy to pace

Her hair starts to stick up in the front of her head

from her hands pulling upward on her hair

The neighbors can see mommy through the window

punching her leg to stop the fuzzy panic in her brain

It is messy and disturbing for all of us to witness

It caused a humming bird to fly into the window

and your poor mother had to pick up the dead

little thing and put it in the garbage

She had to sallow her puke down and

recite lines from Our Town.

When you were a little tiny babe

you were sick and your mother

held you down as the doctors

and nurses put needles and ivs

in your body.  You were like

a trapped elephant with a tiger

in its belly.

Your mother, without faith

or knowing what was wrong

stood so strong, trembling within

screaming within,  wearing her

solid and brave mask

demanding and ordering

the rush of incompetence

moving around you and her.

She had to accept death, she had to accept

that she was powerless to save you

Each time you went into the hospital

she had to become a stoic Buddha

Do you know what that does to a woman

Your mother when she first had you

was but a child herself, dumb

and wild and on a hero’s path

She abandon her passport and toys

and silver cup that had been given

to her by the ancestor’s

She was disowned.  She was cut apart

She was a promising figure, a whisper

in circles, a goddess of beauty

with a powerful grip

your mom with her funny little

voices and facial expressions

with her songs and rhymes

is not that girl but an old woman

who has made it her goal

to give her life to you

Don’t lie to her

It may kill her

before you have run

out of uses for her

I have never run more than 13.1 miles straight. True, I have done my share of half-marathons, and even tacked a 13.1 onto the end of a 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike at the Galveston Half-Ironman, but more than 13? Nope. Never. But I was all set to do so last Sunday. I had done my whole hydration routine the day before, tried to get a good night’s sleep, and was ready for a 15-miler in the AM. But my daughter’s immune system thought otherwise.

Saturday night she was a bit fussier than usual. Then when she got up on Sunday morning, she started, well, whimpering. Sometimes I think she doesn’t even know how to cry, so does it so infrequently, but that morning, she would not only cry, but let out a very distinct whimper, a whimper that basically sounded like she was in pain. This was the first time my wife and I had to deal with a sick kid, and like most parents, we weren’t quit sure what to make of it. Is this a whimper, like “I have a stomach ache, I’ll be fine when I burp,” or more like a “I have a fever, its time to go to the doctor IMMEDIATELY”? We didn’t know, so we did what any insured parents would do on a day when their pediatrician is out of the office: we called the Nurse Hotline on the back of the insurance card.

“How can I help you today?”

“My daughter is sick, she is continually whimpering, and has a very very slight fever.”

“Ok, is her cry louder than normal?”

“Well no. But she is whimpering, like she is in pain, and she has never done that before.”

“But is her cry louder than usual?”

“No. It’s a whimper, distinctly different from a cry.”

“So the volume of her cry has changed?”

“Ok. Fine. Yes. You could call the whimper a soft cry.”

“Ok, then you need to call an ambulance. Or take her immediately to the ER.  It could be….”

…and I didnt really hear much after that. I am not in any way making fun of our medical system, nor knocking the Phone-a-Nurse that our insurance carrier gives us. It is indeed a great feature, as so many illnesses really can be diagnosed and treated over the phone by a trained nurse, thus clearing the offices of PCPs and Peds everywhere. But, you could just feel the law-suit dodging, take-ever-precaution-because-we’re-dealing-with-an-infant-here mentality over the phone.

So my wife and I did as instructed, and took our daughter to the Emergency Room for her whimpe…, excuse me, soft cry. She had a slew of tests done, including getting a hep-lock in her little arm for an IV antibiotic. Numerous shots, rectal thermometers, and half-feedings later, they finally sent us home with a diagnosis of a UTI, and told us to follow up with her pediatrician the next day.

When we went to our ped, he looked at her, put his hand on her fat cheeks, removed the big ol’ club arm the ER docs had created to keep the hep-lock in place, and said, “I dont think it’s a UTI. I think its a cold. Keep nursing her. Take a few days off of work. She will be fine.”

(Now I’d love to break into commentary about the American medical system here, about how a trip to the ER probably cost us $1000+ dollars worth of tests, while a trip to our pediatrician, with his continuity of patient care, was the cost of a snoopy bandaid. But we can save that discussion for another time).

And that is about what we did – my wife nursed her, we held her, rocked her, took some time off of work, and she was back to normal in no time.

I know no award should be given for going to the ER with my daughter in place of a commitment to training; indeed, anything else would have been quite selfish. But what I noticed, actually, enjoyed, was the ease with which I was totally indifferent to everything else in the world, was how quickly I was willing to miss work, miss work outs, miss phone calls, miss emails, miss appointments, all to be by her side in the hospital.  But this was an easy one, a no-brainer. She was sick, I would miss a run, no biggie.  I am sure sometimes she will be a little less sick, and my commitment will be a little more important.  And when that time comes, how will I react? Had she had a whimper the day before the Kentucky Ironman, the day before I did what I trained a year to do, would I be able to back out?

Two words you never, NEVER expect to hear from your child’s doctor…

“emerging schizophrenia…”

How do I respond to that? How do I process that?

Not cancer, not diabetes. Those words I recognize, those words I understand.

Schizo-fucking-phrenia!?

He’s just a kid!

He’s…. not…. even… had… his… first… girlfriend!

YANG:
It’s never a good day when your baby gets a cold. Let alone when the cold turns a bit more serious, such as when a fever ensues or a dreaded ear infection develops. (And why are ear infections so prevalent nowadays? I was amazed that our pediatrician was “amazed” that our daughter got her first ear infection at such a ripe old age of nearly 2. Huh? Topic for another day.) Little ones can’t tell us yet what’s bothering them, so as parents we have to play both Miss Marple and Dr Quartermaine at once.

It’s not an easy task, as you moms and dads well know. But what happens when the sneezes jump from little noses to big noses, and infect the whole household? Chaos, I tell you, utter chaos. It’s difficult enough caring for a sick child but worse when one parent gets sick, let alone both! And as CEO of the house, when mom gets the dreaded germs, everything has the potential to go kaput.

Not to bash on men, but in my experience, I’ve not yet met a man who is a “good” patient. Rather, they have turned into little children themselves. We all need some TLC when we’re sick, but with a sick baby and a sick husband in the house, it falls to mom to carry the entire load. Eventually, I too succumbed to the wee one’s germs and got sick, just as the baby and husband were on the mend.

Yet as a SAHM of a toddler, I can’t retire to my bed and soap operas for the day when I’m sick once the kiddies are at school or daycare, and the husband at work. No, I have to keep on going, albeit at a slower speed. (TG for take out!) But it’s days like these, when my head weighs a ton and it feels like a cat is scratching the inside of my throat that I envy those moms whose children are in daycare, because at least when they catch a cold or flu, those moms can rest up for a few hours a day.

Well, my mom once said there’s nothing a good cuppa tea won’t cure, so I’m off to brew myself a steep cup. Then take some cold medicine and keep on movin’.

YIN:
Ah the joys of having a sick child when you’re supposed to go to work and have appointments scheduled. What’s a working mom to do? Well I could ask my husband to take her to the doctor. But his schedule fluctuates and it’s not quite as easy for him to take our daughter in at the last minute. Plus he gets nervous taking her to the doctor and I need to know exactly what was said.

I’m thankful that our pediatrician has extended hours so if she does get sick I have an option to take her after work but hate waiting around in the doctor’s office with all those sick kids. Who honestly aren’t always that well behaved, sick or not sick. As I sit in the waiting room I start going through my list of who to blame for me waiting over an hour: the doctor’s office for letting sick kids who are whiney in their waiting room; my husband because if he would pay attention and not be so nervous about our daughter he’d be able to listen to the doctor’s prognosis; the doctor for taking so long; myself for working; my job for making me so tired; daycare for suggesting that my daughter doesn’t feel well and “maybe we should take her to the doctor”. The list goes on and on. The only person missing from the list is my daughter, who, even when sick, has a pretty good disposition.

I was speaking with my own mom the other day and complaining about all of the doctor’s visits that my pretty healthy daughter has had over the past year. There was one major trip to the emergency room (febrile seizure due to an ear infection) that cleaned out our health care savings account so now we pay 20% of all visits out of pocket. Surprisingly my mom said that when we were kids even though we were pretty healthy she was always taking us to the doctor’s office and she hated it. She finally got wise and got friendly with the local pharmacist and would give him our symptoms and he would give suggestions on medication or tell her if we needed to go to the doctor. What a money saver! Of course our local CVS or Walgreen’s pharmacist would most likely not do such a thing in this day and age but instead of immediately running to the doctor for a long lasting diaper rash I’m now going to use my Mommy resources and talk to friends who have older children and see what their opinion is. I also have a friend who is a mom and a nurse and I should ask her more questions. I think that since everyone is so busy sometimes we tend to forget to talk to each other and commiserate. It’s how we learn. I’m sure in the days of old that’s what quilting bees really were – an opportunity for women to talk with each other and learn from each other. Sometimes in the hectic schedule that I have I forget. But hopefully I can build a village of teachers that includes her pediatrician, the women at her daycare, my mom, and my friends with children to help teach me to be a better, more sane mother.

Sounds like a cautionary proverb. In some sense it is, as my sister had a nasty bout of flu at her place that required her caring for two boys in between bouts of her own vomiting. I had hoped to avoid that. Yet here I am, whopping fever and headache, trying to comfort an equally sick child who only wants her mommy at times like these. Not that I blame her. There are certain levels of comfort only moms can provide. In fact, it crossed my mind today to call home and talk to my own Mother because I was feeling so lousy. Sometimes one just needs to be soothed.

Out of all the “things one is simply not prepared for after a baby is born”, the increased frequency of illness sits high atop the list. I’m a wuss when I’m sick. Most men are, but I become the complete antithesis to stoicism. I have friends who are fairly stoic–or at least they try to give that impression. I am not like that. And when I get sick, I become the emotional equivalent to a high-school beauty pageant loser. I mope about, take slow, careful steps everywhere to emphasize my illness, I get weepy during commercials. Quite tragic when you think about it. Worse, today I got choked up watching Kung-Fu Panda…who does that? Honestly.

But getting ill more often is a concern for me. Pre-Simone, I maybe got one cold every one or two years. This year alone I’ve been sick at least four times–today being the worst yet. Quite certain other parents experience similar issues. How to combat it? Vitamin C? Echinacea? Strict eating habits (all I want to eat right now is Freezies)? Should I be getting a flu shot?

What say you? Oh, and note: when ill, you really notice when you need a new mattress on your bed.

• Saving sick days for when the child is ill. Many people take advantage of the sick day policy their employer provides. They will stay home whenever a small cold erupts. In the case of a working mother it’s most advantageous for her to save those days for when her child is ill. The child will feel better knowing that their mother is close, while at the same time the mother won’t have to face a day of worry about her sick child.

• Change your work hours if possible. Many employers are now recognizing the benefit of accommodating the schedules of working mothers. Some women have requested a 4-day workweek in which they work extra time each of the four days in order to have the fifth day off. Others have decided to work at home part of the time, while being in the office just a few days per week. Many employers are open to these types of suggestions and it certainly doesn’t hurt to inquire at your work.

Working mothers can certainly make time for both their career and their children. It can take some help from the father and other family members, but it is possible. It’s very important for the working mother to always keep her priorities straight.

Becoming a mother is a wonderful time in the life of any woman but it certainly doesn’t mean that a woman has to give up her career aspirations. With some much-needed balance and a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished a working mother can thrive in all areas. - Gianna Lazarou

About The Author: Gianna Lazarou is one of the owners of http://www.businessrise.com, an international online business portal.

Too early to start drinking? Just a small one? Internets, please advise.

Important Facts: Stay at home mother therefore no after work drinks*, sick child, sick partner, sick (but recovering) self.

* Obviously stay at home parents require Friday arvo early knock-off and drinkies, but currently the other stay at home parents wont come near me due to aforementioned illness in house.

I had some plans to work over the weekend… Just a bit, just so that I feel I am doing something. Like reading training videos, books that I have bought, trying new things. All good intentions that had to be shifted to higher priorities – my son has a cold. One that forces him to be cranky, sleepy and wanting to be with mommy all the time. Three characteristics not at all like him. It is obvious he is not feeling well. Just looking in his eyes it is apparent that they are too glossy, too sleepy.  Poor little bugger. Thank God Tylnol exists.  I love when he needs mommy’s cuddles.

Reading an intersting book that will help to promote my business – it is called “Marketing to the Social Web” from Larry Weber. Useful for me as it brings a certain structure to the ideas I had for the marketing of the service. These ideas need a structure to yield results. It is so easy to be all over the place in social web marketing. First definition of a goal, then choice of best platforms, then generation of interactions and then the measurement. These are the essentials. The book has in fact 7 steps.

The little one is waking up… Must attend to higher priorities.