Pink Eye and Toddlers

I am not saying it is the worst childhood illness.  I am not even saying it ranks in the top ten worst childhood illnesses.  I understand and am able to keep thing in perspective.  I have healthy children, but that being said.  Wow!   Eye drops are hard to use on a toddler.  Is hard the right word?  I am not sure.  Almost impossible might be a better word.  I know the nurse told me to drop some of the medicine into the corner of my son's eye and have him move his head to the side and the drop will just roll gracefully into his eye all by itself.  When she described it, I thought great idea -- I can do that.  I tried her way a few times, but my son kept his eye closed with a vise like closure.  There were no drops getting past those beautiful drawbridge lashes. I have never seen him close his eyes tighter.

So quickly realized I had to physically open his eye myself and get those drops in there.  It is my job; I am his mom.  I felt like I was at the carnival playing some awful water gun game where the target moves back and forth and up and down. This is not to mention the eight arms my child clearly must have.  I never knew my kid was this strong.  If he is this strong, why does her still ask me to carry him. As person administering the medicine, you have to hold the arms -- all eight of them -- down, gently pry the target (eye) open with your two free fingers, while you hold the medicine bottle in the other hand and carefully drop a small amount of liquid into the MOVING target. All the while listening to your child say "NO Mommy don't, NO!"  Nothing like trying to preform a difficult task with your own child yelling at you to stop.  Best part --- after you are finished, you remember you have to do this four times a day for seven days.  That was just the first dose.

Forty-eight hours later...eight doses in... 20 doses left.  My other child, my youngest, Madeleine wakes up with pink eye too. I do the quick math and .... 48 doses left.  Today is a pajama day.