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26 Fort Campbell Families-Fall Militarydadsgivetipsonhowtosurvivesickdays BY HEATHER SHORT Some children actually look forward to going back to school. Some are excited to begin learning again and others are excited to be around their friends. In the excitement and fanfare of getting back to class par- ents often know what happens next Kids come down sick. While schools and teachers attempt to stay ahead of the germ sharing by re- questing bottles of hand sanitizer for the classrooms its hard for chil- dren to hide from the back-to-school sickness reel. One day your child comes home with the sniffles and before you know it its a full-blown illness. Bring on the sick days. Sgt. Lee Tucker a father of three whose wife Ashley is pregnant with their fourth child knows all about having a sick child at home. Our 6-year-old is always the first to be sick he said. Then she passes it to our 4-year-old who unfortunately ends up in the emergency room when he gets sick. When Tuckers children are home sick they curl up on the couch to rest and watch the Disney Channel. He and his wife diligently monitor any fevers and use Childrens Tylenol to help reduce fevers. They also use hot baths to quell congestion when over-the-counter medication isnt enough. We keep up on their fluid intake and make sure they are getting plenty of water Tucker said. For the Robinson family tackling a day with sick children means hav- ing lots of water and juice on hand. Sgt. Joshua Robinson and his wife Kimberly are parents to two daughters ages 8 and 5. We do all we can to make the children comfortable Robinson said. We lay on the couch let them play video games and watch the Disney Channel. Keeping sick children rested and calm yet entertained is important. They are my world Robinson said so I go into super-parent mode and make sure they are taken care of. Most of the time children are struck with a virus that cannot be treated with antibiotics. In those cases the only thing parents can do is wait it out and hope it passes quickly. Children tend to be very loving and cuddly when sick so its only a matter of time before they pass on their sickness to their doting parents. As Robinson pointed out there are no sick days in the Army. So what do parents do when they get sick and still have to work Having things on hand to prepare easy meals for dinner certainly comes in handy. A package of Bear Creek soup mix only requires boiling water and it makes enough for most families to have leftovers. For the Robinsons its important to have food staples on hand like saltines and ginger ale. They also suggest staying away from junk food fast food and energy drinks. We drink lots and lots of water to try and flush out whatever it is we have Tucker said. Both sergeants praise their wives for how they handle being sick and still manage to be loving wives and parents. Ill admit I am a big baby when I am sick Tucker said. I will do what I can to help out but my wife muscles through being sick. Seasonal illnesses are almost impossible to avoid especially with chil- dren. But having a plan to handle sick days will help ease the stress the best you can. As we head back to school keep those hands washed pantries stocked and Kleenex in your pocket.