The dreaded pox

"Daddy, the play-school called.  They said Rachel is having some red dots on her back.  They fear it may be chicken pox as there is an outbreak in school currently.  Can you go bring her home?" Yen called me in the afternoon.

Gosh.  One issue after another.  On well.  It is probably inevitable.  Yen says the timing may be good as she would rather the children have this particular illness sooner, rather than later.  And all three will probably have the illness, one after another.  I agree, but have some reservations on their ages - Kayleen is only two-plus and she will not understand too much on why she should not scratch herself when she feels the itch.  That will leave a few nasty scars, I fear.

I went to their play-school a little later.  I was told that Rachel had been isolated, kept in the office once they noticed and suspected the signs and symptoms.  She did not have fever then.  While waiting at the door for all three of them, Kayleen's teacher carried her out and realised that our younger girl might have the spots too.

I brought them home.  Fearing the worst, I showed Rachel some pictures of people having chicken pox I found on the Internet and warned her against scratching herself when it itched.  I changed Kayleen out of the pyjamas and discovered some pox-like spots on her back.    Funny no one had realised the spots I found when Kayleen was being bathed.

Pox on Rachel's left shoulder...

 

...her tummy...



... and left arm



On Kayleen's back

 I went to work after informing Yen of my find.  She brought them to the doctors later and had them certified that they suffered from chicken pox.  Sigh.  Think Felix will get the illness from his sisters later.  I keep my fingers crossed that they will not suffer from the itch and pain / discomfort, and have minimal 'battle scars' on their bodies...




Spunky Kayleen on Day 1 of pox



Day 2 - not so spunky anymore

Making mistakes

"Rachel!  You are doing this wrong, again!" I was exasperated.  Why could she not write it correctly?  I had not stopped to explore the reasons why she got things wrong all this while.  I had not been encouraging.  Instead, I had admonished her over any tiny mistake, so much so that she is now lying to shirk responsibilty, to avoid being castigated.  Is this the kind of father I want to be??

A friend recently commented that he had seen my elder children with me, and from their actions / behaviour when they were with me, he could see that we have been spending time together, that we had been bonding.  I sure am glad to hear that.  But is this time "quality time", what I had been searching for since their birth??

Recently, I had been threatening her that I would buy a cane.  She wailed.  I felt bad.  I had thought that 'that' would solve problems of wrongful behaviour.  I had not seen the 'lying' part coming.  I think I had failed.

I think I can still change things.  I will have to remind myself that all of us make mistakes.  "To err is with human" - a phrase I know so well and had been telling the children whom I had been working with in the course of my job.  Can I, instead, laugh with them when they err and help my three gems learn from mistakes?  To assume responsibility and not be afriad to try?

Being the 'disciplinarian' in the family - am I taking this too seriously?  Do I have to rebuke and punish for every mistake?  Does that help them in their lives later?  Already, I lament that we do not spend enough time together.  Can I make us value the time we have together and let them look forward to my home-coming from work on nights that I work?  They deserve a childhood full of fun and laughter, amist learning!!

I am learning.  I have a lot of work to do to change myself.  This is, perhaps, being a reflective practitioner.