Daniel has HFMD

Posted by spots (Singapore, Singapore) on 9 May 2009 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.

Another update is in order--Daniel was confirmed with HFMD on Sunday morning (3 May). It came as a shock to me since I honestly cannot remember the last time Dan was sick! Ever since taking sambucol daily, he has rarely fallen ill. Not even a runny nose. But on Saturday afternoon, he suddenly said, "I feel sick" and promptly ran a fever of 39 degrees. Even though his fever subsided and he was back to good spirits after his afternoon nap, rashes began to appear Sunday morning. And that was the start of it all....

I really have to praise God that overall, his HFMD was mild. Friends on facebook were informing me of mouth ulcers and kids not wanting to eat and having to feed them ice cream all day. It sounded really bad and I was gearing up for the worst. But throughout this week, Dan has actually been eating his normal food--bread, rice, noodles, even pizza! His appetite did dip on Monday and he had trouble swallowing (ulcers in his throat perhaps?) but by Tuesday, his appetite was back to normal and on Wednesday, I actually noticed his appetite had INCREASED!?

Mood-wise, Dan was more subdued on Monday. He was scratching lots--the rashes were spreading and soon covered his stomach, neck, armpits, elbows. His face looked flushed (with rash?) and he had 1 small but prominent rash on the right side of his mouth, but no mouth ulcers inside his mouth, thank God! We dutifully applied the calamine lotion and gave him the anti-histamine to reduce the itch. And by Tuesday, he had stopped itching so much so that we stopped giving him the anti-histamine and he was able to get on without scratching. His fever also disappeared.

By Wednesday, his appetite picked up and signs of the "hyper" Daniel that we know so well returned. The fast talking, hyena-like laughing DAniel. Sigh. I caught myself thinking I preferred him subdued. Ho Ho.

The whole week--Dan and Ben have been at home. Dan because of HFMD. (He is quarantined till Sunday) and Ben because he had an eternally drippy nose, with a permanent green mucous log stuck to his nostril. Also, apparently, since Dan is contagious with HFMD until his rash started disappearing, which it did on Wednesday, then Ben had also to be quarantined for 3-5 days from the day the rash started fading, which means also till Sunday!

It was a unique situation--the kids were home THE WHOLE DAY. Yet, we could not take them out to expend their energy. What on earth did we do with them?

A challenge, definitely. But one which has brought many positive learning experiences. Husband & I took the opportunity to plan lots of indoor activities for them and here's how a typical day looked like:

7.15 wake, brush teeth
7.45 breakfast, then free play till 9.30
9.30-10 piano lesson with Mum
10-10.15 snack time--hydration important! Gv Dan Ribena, which he loved!
10.15-11 sit-down lesson time
(On Monday, we did counting to 100, addition/subtraction; Wed was craft--making a Father's Day card for Daddy; Thu was craft--painting a picture & practicing writing letters etc.)
11-11.30 video time
11.30-12 free play
12 eat lunch, bathe, milk
1-1.45 read story books, spelling, sleep
4pm wake up, free play
6pm dinner
etc.,

It really was macham home-schooling man! Or at least, I felt that way! Husband & I began discussing curriculum issues like the importance of reinforcement, experiential learning, and so on. It really was a whole new world for us.

The two things which became repeated themes in our week were:

1. Writing letters/cards to people--this was something Dan got interested in before HFMD. But over this week, we made the boys create cards for Mother's Day and Father's Day and tried to emphasise that writing a letter/card to people is one way of showing them that you love them.

2. David and Goliath--I decided that an inspiring bible story could be a theme for the week. We watched the video, read the bible story and even did a craft painting of the story. I was trying to emphasise that we need not be scared of anything because God is with us.

What I did not plan for was how much of playtime was spontaneous and creative! Dan is really getting into pretend play these days--on Wed morn, he took out his little second-hand doctor's kit and decided to "examine" all his stuffed toys for illnesses. I was the "voice" of his stuffed toys and he diagnosed each one, after checking for temperature and blood pressure. He really got into it. Very cuute!

Then on Thursday afternoon, when I had clean run out of things to do with them, I decided to read to Dan a book about being a bus driver and that led to 1.5 hours of pretend play about being a bus driver! Ben's room was "the bus". Yes, the entire room. The armchair was the driver's seat. The single bed was the bus seats. I had to flag the bus to "stop it", Dan pushed a button to open the door. I "entered" and discussed pricing of a trip to Pasir Ris. Dan initially said, "$100" but eventually got bargained down to $1. He gave me a "ticket"--a postit note with the bus number scrawled on it with his chicken feet writing "575". We had to wear seatbelts on the bus--Bus Driver Dan's orders"--and hold onto the "rails". And then he would drive us to Pasir Ris, River Valley, Bishan, Clementi, School. Then, Dan decided he wanted to be the mechanic that fixed the bus. So, our cupboard became the engine, which he "opened" to fix. There were pretend wheels that needed pumping, leaking roofs that let the rain in, dirty floors that he needed to sweep, chairs that had toppled over and windows that had cracked. It was really neat to see him very serious about being a bus driver and a mechanic. The straight face which he used to say "Welcome." as he waved his hand toward his "bus"--Ben's room--was most amusing.

I think the point I'm making is that it has actually been really fun, but yes, terribly exhausting, spending all this time with the kids. THE WHOLE DAY, with no school or work to break the "monotony". But oddly, as they get older, it becomes less monotonous cos there's so much to do with them.

I found this really great join the dots book that has helped Dan count from 1-100. Husband had also been immersing the kids in computer time, Bob the Builder videos and get this--"5BX". Yes. He has taught them actual stretching activities, push ups, sit ups and pull ups. It's absolutely HILARIOUS when the three "men" are on the floor doing sit ups!!!! Especially Benjamin!!!

The running theme in my posts these past 2 times have been that the more time you spend with the kids, the more you love them. And I think they are finally at the age where, you know something, this is absolutely true. Wow. I think it really does get better as they get older, and this, despite the HFMD!!