1 month into your stay with the family, and you feel a bit tired. The initial adrenaline rush of living in a new city and a new country is starting wear off. Every morning you get up early to prepare breakfast. You hate rushing to school, and the weather has been changeable so you've been caught in more rain showers than you can count. The kids have been at school and mixing with other children, and have had a few sniffles or tousse. You've been running yourself ragged trying to pick up toys and get out to see Paris through the day. You must be feeling pretty tired right now, like you could go to bed and sleep for a full 24hrs... and is that a tickle in your throat?
You might have caught le rhume d'au pair!
Sources (i.e. facebook, Whatsapp, twitter, and word of mouth) reveal that several au pairs in Paris have succumbed to the condition and so here is your guide to surviving this unfortunate (but almost unavoidable) condition.
1) Tell your host family parents.
This may sound obvious but do this step as soon as possible. Even if you only feel a bit under the weather now, it will at least forewarn them that you may get more ill in the near future. This way you don't catch them by surprise when you turn up at breakfast looking like death warmed up. Also, if your French is not good, then they can help you find the medicine you need or get you to a doctor if it gets really bad.
2) Start drinking.
No, don't reach for the vin. Start taking on fluids as soon as you get up. Water is great, but also take on hot fluids, as it will ease any pain in your throat and help any phlegm or mucus to move (gross but true). You may think caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee will dehydrate you more, but they are better than no fluids. Also you are not in the desert and can easily get a glass of water. In fact you might as well super-glue the mug to your hand... But try to avoid milk and dairy - it will make the mucus worse!
3) Vitamin C.
Eat an orange, grab some juice, and be kind to your immune system.
4) Layers.
If you have a fever and you are flashing hot and cold you want to move from snuggly to airy pretty quick. Maybe it's not the chicest outfit to be seen in in Paris, but it's better for you.
5) Hot bath.
When you are feeing crappy, a good steam will help move all that icky stuff around, and clear out your nose and chest. Get yourself a nice bubble bath or something with a delicious scent. Sephora's effervescent cubes are 1€ each and smell great. If you don't have a bath, a hot shower will door even sticking your head over a bowl of boiling water.
6) Go back to bed.
No matter how much you may have wanted to abseil down the eiffel tower today, I don't think now is the time for it. Stay warm, stay dry, stay cosy. Time to catch a few extra hours of rest and sleep before the kids get back from school. Enjoy the tranquility - It will be over soon.
7) Netflix
YOU. KNOW. YOU. WANT. TO!
Give in to the demon Netflix! There will be other days for the Louvre.Now is the time to marathon something. I currently recommend Narcos. It's a great take (with a dash of Magical Realism) on a dark but fascinating period in Colombian history and some some seriously sexy actors to keep you entertained.
8) Dose yourself.
If you have come from the UK or Ireland (Or some other countries I am sure) you will be amazed the the strength of the medication over here. One doctor talking to my host family's parents loudly announced that the "Anglo-Saxons", as the French call Brits (I'm technically Celtic but whatever) chronically under-medicate, and that their doctors never prescribe enough because they are afraid of really treating the patients. Cue the host family's Dad looking shiftily at me - knowing I a) understand everything going on and b) am the daughter of a British doctor and nurse. But hey, in all my years with medical parents I'd never seen a 1 gram paracetamol. Anyway get the parents to help, or try out your pharmacy French. Now is not the time to hold back on the painkillers - you'll regret it after the kids start screaming.
9) Distract the kids with bright colours.
Maybe your house has strict rules about TV. I would suggest that now is not the time to enforce. Put the bright colours on the box and let the kids stare at it until Mum and Dad get home. Preferably a long film. Extra points for some Disney nostalgia. If the parents say anything, drown out the complaints with your hacking cough.
10) Try to do as little as possible in the kitchen.
The less contact you have with the food, the better. So get a pizza in. Or do something that you can slam in the oven or microwave. Oh and wash your hands... Otherwise in 3-4 days you are going to be spending your now healthy days looking after some screaming sniffly kids.
Well I hope those amongst you who are feeling unwell get better soon. As for me, I'm off to drink my 39th cup of tea, take a fist full of pills and get one last nap in before the kids need to be picked up.
*coughspluttercough*
You might have caught le rhume d'au pair!
Sources (i.e. facebook, Whatsapp, twitter, and word of mouth) reveal that several au pairs in Paris have succumbed to the condition and so here is your guide to surviving this unfortunate (but almost unavoidable) condition.
1) Tell your host family parents.
This may sound obvious but do this step as soon as possible. Even if you only feel a bit under the weather now, it will at least forewarn them that you may get more ill in the near future. This way you don't catch them by surprise when you turn up at breakfast looking like death warmed up. Also, if your French is not good, then they can help you find the medicine you need or get you to a doctor if it gets really bad.
2) Start drinking.
No, don't reach for the vin. Start taking on fluids as soon as you get up. Water is great, but also take on hot fluids, as it will ease any pain in your throat and help any phlegm or mucus to move (gross but true). You may think caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee will dehydrate you more, but they are better than no fluids. Also you are not in the desert and can easily get a glass of water. In fact you might as well super-glue the mug to your hand... But try to avoid milk and dairy - it will make the mucus worse!
3) Vitamin C.
Eat an orange, grab some juice, and be kind to your immune system.
 |
| Tastes of the tropics and paracetamol... |
4) Layers.
If you have a fever and you are flashing hot and cold you want to move from snuggly to airy pretty quick. Maybe it's not the chicest outfit to be seen in in Paris, but it's better for you.
5) Hot bath.
When you are feeing crappy, a good steam will help move all that icky stuff around, and clear out your nose and chest. Get yourself a nice bubble bath or something with a delicious scent. Sephora's effervescent cubes are 1€ each and smell great. If you don't have a bath, a hot shower will door even sticking your head over a bowl of boiling water.
 |
| You may have to clear the bath out first. Unless you like water pistols. |
6) Go back to bed.
No matter how much you may have wanted to abseil down the eiffel tower today, I don't think now is the time for it. Stay warm, stay dry, stay cosy. Time to catch a few extra hours of rest and sleep before the kids get back from school. Enjoy the tranquility - It will be over soon.
7) Netflix
 |
| Sweet bringer of junk binges |
YOU. KNOW. YOU. WANT. TO!
Give in to the demon Netflix! There will be other days for the Louvre.Now is the time to marathon something. I currently recommend Narcos. It's a great take (with a dash of Magical Realism) on a dark but fascinating period in Colombian history and some some seriously sexy actors to keep you entertained.
8) Dose yourself.
If you have come from the UK or Ireland (Or some other countries I am sure) you will be amazed the the strength of the medication over here. One doctor talking to my host family's parents loudly announced that the "Anglo-Saxons", as the French call Brits (I'm technically Celtic but whatever) chronically under-medicate, and that their doctors never prescribe enough because they are afraid of really treating the patients. Cue the host family's Dad looking shiftily at me - knowing I a) understand everything going on and b) am the daughter of a British doctor and nurse. But hey, in all my years with medical parents I'd never seen a 1 gram paracetamol. Anyway get the parents to help, or try out your pharmacy French. Now is not the time to hold back on the painkillers - you'll regret it after the kids start screaming.
9) Distract the kids with bright colours.
Maybe your house has strict rules about TV. I would suggest that now is not the time to enforce. Put the bright colours on the box and let the kids stare at it until Mum and Dad get home. Preferably a long film. Extra points for some Disney nostalgia. If the parents say anything, drown out the complaints with your hacking cough.
 |
| Now is the time to traumatise the 4 year old the way you were traumatised at his age. |
The less contact you have with the food, the better. So get a pizza in. Or do something that you can slam in the oven or microwave. Oh and wash your hands... Otherwise in 3-4 days you are going to be spending your now healthy days looking after some screaming sniffly kids.
Well I hope those amongst you who are feeling unwell get better soon. As for me, I'm off to drink my 39th cup of tea, take a fist full of pills and get one last nap in before the kids need to be picked up.
*coughspluttercough*
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