Just received this email from my girlfriend, Julie and thot it was worthwhile info to pass along to my BizMom Community. Stay well.

Fever

Fever is rare with a cold.

Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.

Coughing

A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.

A nonproductive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

Aches

Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.

Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.

Stuffy Nose

Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.

Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.

Chills

Chills are uncommon with a cold.

60% of people who have the flu experience chills.

Tiredness

Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.

Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.

Sneezing

Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.

Sneezing is not common with the flu.

Sudden Symptoms

Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.

The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.

Headache

A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.

A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.

Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu..

Chest Discomfort

Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.

Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

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Designate a specific and adequate space to store backpacks, jackets and other outerwear near the main entrance/exit of your home.

Children are accustomed to having an “assigned spot” for their belongings in the classroom, but at home this is often not a clear and convenient location and chaos ensues.

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Guest Blog Article by Karen Bierdeman

“C’mon, Mom—let’s GO! I want to GO somewhere!” I hear this phrase every day from my youngest daughter. As an extrovert, being around people energizes her, and the people in her house don’t always cut it it! Even as a tiny baby, I could see her try to meet others’ eyes, even as a tiny baby. I knew she was searching for ways to connect with others.

My older daughter, who’s ten, loves to curl up with a good book and a cat. From early on, she would rather play with her toys rather than with people. Extended eye contact with her over stimulated her. Now that she’s older, she’s learned that spending time alone helps decrease her stress (except when her extroverted sister is banging on the door screaming, “You never want to play with me! Come out NOW!”).

And their mama? Well, I am admittedly an introvert. I need time alone to refuel, so does my husband. So what do we do when there are three of us who need to lay low in order to feel better and we are living with a person who thrives on being with others? Managing this isn’t is difficult as it sounds. I’ve found the following steps to be helpful for both introverted and extroverted family members:

1.Notice whether you tend towards introversion or extroversion, and also become aware of your children’s tendencies. Even though it’s geared toward younger children, this site will give you a great idea of how your child leans.
2.If your kids are verbal, sit down and talk with them about how everybody has a “gas tank” just like the car. Just like the car, everybody needs to put in more gas in order to play, work, have fun, etc. Also explain that some people do this alone, while others need to be around people, and that both ways are great. Ask them what they they think they need, as well as to make guesses about the rest of the family members. If you have toddlers or very young preschoolers that aren’t yet able to talk about this, then you can jumpstart the process by helping them recharge before they melt down.
3.After you’ve figured out how everyone in the family “fills up,” come up with a brief list of these ways. Ask questions such as, “What’s the best way you can meet your need for being with others?” Come up with other options like calling and e-mailing friends, etc. Try a standing weekly playdate with a few pals for your extroverted child will give them something to look forward to. For your introverted child, it might be helpful to plan on a daily “siesta” time where it is totally cool to have time alone, no questions asked.
4. Help your kids to understand how they’re wired, as well as how everyone else in the family is, so it will be easier for them to learn to meet their own needs BEFORE there’s a problem. It’s important to learn how to respect others’ needs. Knowledge is power, and I’d also add that so is planning ahead.
5.Set a good example by going first. As the mom, it’s powerful for your kids to hear you say, “I can tell I’m getting tired and cranky and need to spend some time with my friends tonight. Don’t have a guilt trip, this is about valuing yourself enough to take the time to do what refuels you so you can be more effective. Kids do what we do–so you’ll be doing EVERYONE a favor by modeling this and keeping yourself refueled. One of the best ways to avoid melt-down is to have each family member “refuel” in ways that work for them. That way, the only melt-downs you’ll have will be popcicles and ice cream bars!

Karen Bierdeman, M.Ed, has worked with families and children for over 16 years. Her expertise in Childhood Behavior Disorders, makes her an effective advocate for children whose behavior is “more”–more intense, more persistent, more energetic and overall more challenging. She also knows first-hand how difficult it can be to be the parent of a strong-willed child! Visit her at http://theguiltfreemom.com

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Ok, maybe you are blessed with a Heavenly Housekeeper, but even so there ARE going to be housekeeping tasks that remain on your list. Learn to work smart by using professional tools and techniques so whomever cleans your space will be effective and efficient. Whether you are doing the work or you are delegating or paying for assistance, you want your cleaning tasks to be done efficiently. By the way, if you hire help I strongly recommend that you look for references AND someone who is both bonded and insured. Give your cleaning team a checklist of what you expect too.

My favorite resource for professional supplies is http://DonAslett.com Don’s products are tried and true and extremely economical to use. His many books on the subject are hilarious to read as well as packed with reliable methods.

There’s even a video on how to clean a bathroom in 3.5 minutes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIRcjQbpm3w
Teach your kids how this summer!

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The second area that consistently consumes a lot of time is laundry. Of course, the ideal solution is to have someone like “Alice” from The Brady Bunch TV show. (I actually met the actress once and she was a sweet gal even off camera!). But the reality is, especially in our current economic situation that you don’t have tons of hired help. All you need to do is to get organized to simplify this process.

So what’s the best way to lighten the laundry loads? Read on….

First of all, limit the amount of clothing available. By having less you automatically create less laundry simply because you don’t wait too long to wash! I’ve had friends and clients who actually have loaded their cars with dirty clothes and commandeered the local laund-o-mat just to get caught up. That’s a desperate (not to mention expensive) solution.

When there are no more clean clothes (or underwear) USUALLY people consider doing the laundry a priority. This can naturally create a consistent schedule and avoid overload.

The biggest time gobbler to doing laundry is the storing before washing and the sorting to deliver clean clothes to various closets and drawers. Save time here by doing laundry loads mostly in cold water (saves energy) by the person which saves delivery time.

The winning solution is to teach your family members to do their own laundry as soon as possible. I worked with my children at age 7 so by age 8 they were independent and in charge of their own laundry management. Think about it. By the age of 8 your kids can operate much more complex equipment than the washing machine can’t they?!

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