What a Pain

                    Sigh.  So, Feisty Pants has been extra, extra feisty today.   She's been making a concerted effort to work hard and be good lately.  And goodness knows, that is WORK for her. No one in our family has ever been known for obedience or compliance.   But, today, sigh, today she has spent  the day oh so obviously trying to be good but not quite making it.   By the end of the evening she was literally screaming in her feeder seat for an hour straight.  We couldn't find anything wrong.  It's not too hot.  We couldn't find any cramping.   Her tummy seemed fine.  We gave her tylenol to be sure.  (When she is cranky, she automatically tells you everything hurts- including eyelashes, toenails, hair and eyebrows.)  I think perhaps she just had a case of the mondays and needed to blow off some steam in a primal shriek sort of way.  For an hour straight.   Lucky mommy and Goo, she sang us the Lament of Feisty Ones everywhere.  Not everyone gets to hear that rare folk song.

                   But, it did get me thinking.  With kids as tough as Feisty Pants it is hard to suss out pain.   And when FP is frustrated, every thing is pain to her.  So what do you do when you can't find the cause or soothe the boo-boo or it's simply taking forever for the tylenol/ibuprofen/heroin to kick in?  Distract, distract,distract. So I thought I would pass along the great distraction tips I've picked up from the bazillion peds wards we have hung out in along the way.

1) A warm bath/shower.  There aren't enough words to describe how soothing this is.  Personally, I think it hits a primal floating in the womb nerve we all never lose.  The warmth is relaxing and helps unloosen tension and muscle spasms.  You can even add a cup of epsom salts for the magnesium.  It will help the muscles relax if sore and an promote sleep. Or a bit of eucalyptus oil/herbs for sinus issues or whatever cold they are all sharing at school this week. 

2) Massage- GENTLE, forget all that rough crap you see on tv or in spas.  Those people went to school to do that safely.  But a gentle massage is soothing and may help release toxins from the body.  The act of touch alone is necessary for all kids.  Use some coconut oil with a few drops of lavender oil/chamomile oil and watch the kids melt.  This one is FABULOUS for a cranky baby or toddler.

3)Music- (the great distractor!!) pick a beat to match the mood you want to produce.  Catchy pop tunes for an upbeat mood.  Soft lullabyes or singer/song writer love ballads for soothing.  Put it on and sing and dance for your kid.  Who cares if sound like a frog or look like a complete dork??!?  You kid won't judge that much, and later, I guarantee they will remember fondly that you were willing to dork out just for them.

4)Bubbles- I bring these up a lot BUT thats 'cause they are awesome.  They are quiet and distracting.  I don't even care if we get them all over my floor.  It will easily mop up and then I have a somewhat clean floor for a change.  Besides bubbles don't usually hit the floor  here.  Cheweverything Pants is sure they are aliens and must protect Feisty Pants from them by eating any she can find.  Feisty Pants find this HILAROUS.

5) Ice- if it's a bruise, bump or strain, ice is a sensible idea to begin with.  It's also great on bee stings and bug bites.  But here's the kicker, sometimes ice works best as a distraction. Kids tend to play with and it keeps them occupied.  And it makes them feel like they are doing something to help themselves thus giving them a sense of control over the problem.

6)Hot water bottle/warm rice bag- great for tummy aches or ear aches.  The warmth is soothing and again, there is the idea of control. Which is very calming

                      So, there you go.  Some quick down and dirty tips on how to not lose your mind until the moment passes and the pain reliever kicks in.  For the record, Feisty Pants made it through her awful torture of dinner.  Snuggled with me for little bit while complaining no one ever listens to her then cuddled on the couch with Goo.   She is now perfectly content watching some sci fi move about "a cool guy with robot finders (fingers)".  That must have been the problem all along.  Not enough robot fingers.