Table of Contents
- Parenting Manga “Recognizing the Signs of a Cold”
- Child catches a cold! Dad nurses him back to health
Parenting Manga “Recognizing the Signs of a Cold”
Profile
A1
After working for a design company in Tokyo, he became a freelance illustrator. He is a hard-working father who produces animation, manga, and illustrations, including winning the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival’s International Short Film Showcase Division Excellence in Animation Award.
Child catches a cold! Dad nurses him back to health
As the weather gets colder, children tend to catch colds and get sick.
I’m worried about my child, but I’m exhausted from nursing her frequent fevers…
Many people may struggle to make ends meet when they take time off work.
According to the 2021 survey on men’s participation in housework and childcare, 77.1% of women answered that they mainly take care of their children and make hospital visits, while only 5.7% of men answered that they do so, showing a large difference between men and women.
This time,
To help couples work together to overcome the pinch of a child,
Things that moms and dads should keep in mind at home and at work on a daily basis.
We will inform you.
The second half of the program features easy and tasty recipes that even children with a cold will enjoy!
Teamwork is the best way to overcome a child’s illness.
Akira Mine, who is involved in the medical field and is a father of one child, will share his tips on how to interact with partners and company regarding nursing children.
The couple should share the responsibility of caring for the child!
Children have weak immune systems and their health conditions change rapidly.
Furthermore, it can be a matter of life and death, so you are not in the least bit concerned if your child becomes ill.
If the child is at an age when he or she is unable to speak, the parents are frustrated because they are unable to communicate their condition and wonder what to do.
Also, if you have never nursed a child, no one will be able to handle the situation if the child’s illness is passed on to the partner who is usually responsible for nursing the child. Based on these considerations, it is important for couples to face the nursing care of their children together and to reduce each other’s mental and physical burdens.
In addition, when a partner is nursing a child, he or she is expected to take care of other household chores and to cover for each other in other ways than nursing, even more than usual.
Daily preparation and communication are important!
Since it is impossible to know when and how a child’s illness will occur, it is a good idea for couples to share information on a regular basis.
For example, we are looking for a medical facility.
Ensure that you know the days and hours of pediatric care near your home and find a family doctor.
It is also important to visit the hospital beforehand for vaccinations, etc., so that you and your child can get to know the doctor and his/her compatibility.
If you can afford it when choosing a medical facility, we recommend that you and your spouse go together.
This is because when two people go together, they can calmly perceive the atmosphere of the doctor and the medical institution and can make an objective judgment.
It is also advisable to know if the clinic is by appointment only, if the clinic hours are suitable for their daily rhythm, if the pediatrician is board certified, and if the clinic is open evenings and holidays.
It is good to find not only pediatricians but also dermatologists, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, etc.
When taking a child to a medical institution, there are many things to bring, such as a consultation ticket, insurance card, mother-child handbook, and medication notebook.
The couple should also share the storage location of these items with each other to avoid a situation of not knowing where they are in the house and being in a panic.
It is also important to be sensitive to changes in the child’s physical condition on a regular basis. Recently, many people are taking their children’s temperatures on a daily basis due to the corona, but it is advisable to continue taking temperatures even if the corona has subsided, since it is easier to notice changes in a child’s physical condition by keeping track of his or her normal temperature. Since the medical institution will ask about the child’s weight, what illnesses are prevalent in the nursery or kindergarten, and what changes from the usual, it is important that this information is also shared between the couple on a regular basis.
Furthermore, the couple should share their work schedules and busy seasons with each other, and communicate on a regular basis which one of them can handle the situation if the child should become ill.
For example, simply telling them at the right time that morning that you will be out of the office a lot today, or that you have a lot of meetings so it will be difficult to answer the phone, will make it easier for both parties to take action based on each other’s situation.
The importance of routine information sharing applies not only to married couples, but also to the workplace.
Many people inform their workplace of their family structure, but in addition, share with company members in advance the ages of their children, any chronic illnesses they may have, and how easily they catch colds.
It is also important to share work schedules and progress with the entire team, so that they can cover for each other in the event of a sudden absence.
Since it is very possible for a child’s cold to linger, it would be even better if you could tell them how long you will be absent from work with a forecast. Instead of feeling sorry and guilty, let us express our gratitude and help each other.
There are also situations where both spouses cannot afford to take time off work.
In such cases, parents can ask for help or use childcare services for sick children.
The conditions for using the sick child care service vary by municipality, so please check beforehand.
A pinch is an opportunity!
Nursing a child is an opportunity to think about the child more intimately than everyday childcare.
It is a time to think about and face the child more desperately and seriously when you are nursing him or her than when you are usually playing with him or her at the park.
View nursing as an important family time, and work with the couple and others around you to overcome the difficulties through teamwork.
Kids will love! Recommended meal recipes for when you are sick
When a child catches a cold, you wonder what to feed him or her.
To that end, Akemi Hosoda, who teaches clinical nutrition at a university and is a mother of two children, will introduce simple recipes for cooking for children who are not feeling well.
Eating tips during a cold
If you feel your child is not feeling well, the first thing you should do is ensure that he or she hydrates frequently.
Even if you have no appetite due to cold symptoms, keep yourself well hydrated with hot water or barley tea.
When fever, vomiting, or diarrhea are present, oral rehydration solution* (see below for how to make it) is also effective.
Because it contains sugar and salt, it is expected to prevent dehydration and restore physical strength.
However, when vomiting, do not overdo it and give the drink little by little.
At the beginning of a cold, take vitamins A and C to avoid aggravating the symptoms. (Vitamin A can be found in eggs and dark-colored vegetables, while vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits and vegetables.)
At meals, focus on carbohydrates that are easy to digest, such as soft rice and udon noodles.
These are essential to prevent energy loss.
If the child is unable to eat, it is best not to force feed him, but to use the child’s favorite foods such as jelly, pudding, ice cream, etc., to encourage him to be mentally energetic. (However, do not overeat.)
*How to make oral rehydration solution
Ingredients (easy-to-make portions)
- Water ・・・ 500ml
- Sugar – a little more than 2 tablespoons (20g)
- Salt – 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g)
- Lemon juice – a little *You can add without lemon juice.
How to make…
- Add salt, sugar, and a little lemon juice for flavor to the water and mix well to dissolve.
- *Stored for 1 to 2 days
Offers recipes that don’t take a lot of time but are very nutritious!
Here are some dishes that are easy to prepare, even for those who are not good cooks.
Carrot rice is a popular rice dish for children even when they do not have a cold.
Butter is an emulsified fat, making it one of the easiest fats to digest, and the vitamin A in carrots is easily absorbed when eaten with fat.
Carrot rice can be easily applied to rice porridge or risotto.
Rice ・・・ 2 cups
Water ・・・ Appropriate amount
1 medium carrot (about 180g with skin)
2 teaspoons (5.3g) granulated consommé
*For 1 solid consommé (5.3g)
Salted butter ・・・ 10g
How to make…
- Wash rice, place rice in rice cooker kettle, and add water up to the kettle’s scale.
Adjust the amount of water accordingly to soften the carrots slightly. - Wash carrots well and grate the peels.
- Add granulated consommé to 1. and mix lightly.
- Add the carrots from 2.
- Add butter cut into 4-5 mm cubes and cook rice. (Normal mode is OK)
- When cooked, mix well.
Ingredients (for one child)
- Carrot rice – 50g
- Water ・・・ 80ml
- Parmesan cheese – about 1 teaspoon (about 5 g)
How to make…
- Place carrot rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat, sprinkle in cheese and mix well.
- ★ If the child is feeling better, add a good quality protein (eggs, white meat, shirasu, tofu, etc.).
It takes only about 10 minutes to make, and it is very easy to make because it does not require dirty hands or a knife.
Although tofu is healthy, the ice cream is very popular with children because it can be eaten like a dessert even when the appetite has not returned.
1 package (150g) silken tofu
*150g x 3 packs in a set
Honey – 1 teaspoon (no honey for children under 1 year old, substitute sugar)
How to make…
- Place tofu and honey in a zipper plastic bag and rub together.
(You can also use a rubber spatula or a mixer to mix them well.) - Shape flat and chill in the freezer for about 3 hours to firm up.
- Rub the top of the plastic bag and place in a serving bowl.
(Don’t let it harden for too long.)
- *You can also add bananas to vary the seasoning and get them to eat it.
Regardless of the child’s condition, constant communication between the couple will facilitate handling of any emergencies.
If your child catches a cold, please make the food recipes we have introduced with love.
