For the past 2 days, my little girl has been off school with a croupy cough. This, in itself, is not a big deal. She tends to get this more than her brothers do. It just so happens it usually happens at night time (like most bouts of croup).
Normally, with a dose of ibuprofen, and a blast of fresh air in the lungs, she's much better.*
But this time, it's been radio silence at night time, but in the morning, she's been coughing, and complaining of a sore head etc. So, with her being off school, and as the stay-at-home parent, I'm the one whose day changes. I'm incredibly thankful that my workplace is so understanding, and allows working from home - today though, is a day off.
Having started Uni recently, I'm still figuring out a routine for making studying happen - it's not my natural go-to activity, so intentionality is a must! Along with that, I would usually spend Friday morning at the gym, getting in a slightly longer workout. Today is different. Today is a change of plan, with torrential rain as a real cherry on top.
How do you deal with sudden changes of plan? Do you roll with the punches, or does it mess with your inner-self? For me, it can very easily be the latter. My mind can get a bit scrambled, and my mood can take a real drop. What helped for me? A change in activity. Unexpectedly, my mood was lifted by a very simple thing - I played a board game with my daughter.
Playing with her isn't foreign, but we do enjoy watching TV together, eating together, and playing Just Dance. But today, switching to a sit-down game actually really shifted my focus, and helped me to relax.
Not everyone likes board games. Actually, I don't tend to enjoy them all that much. But that's my encouragement to you parents. If you're struggling with a mandatory change of plan, and/or your emotions are messing with you - do something simple, but different. If possible, talk to someone too.
*Life Hack that helps if your child gets mild croup, on an almost regular basis - ibuprofen calms the inflammation in their throat, while taking some deliberate breathes of cool/cold fresh air can also help reduce the barking cough.
But, make sure you're following medical advice - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup/
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