Both of my men (Mr. Man & Benjamin) are on my mind.

For entirely different reasons, but they both have bugs. Mr. Man has the love bug, which I think I’ve caught as well. Definitely contagious in some cases. Benjamin has an ear bug, which I am entirely responsible for fixing.

In regards to that little love bug…

This summer I featured Larry Bilotta’s Male Maturity Scale. Usually reserved for married women trying to find out what makes their husband’s tick, Larry realized how useful this scale can be for dating single moms.

Last night, remembering this scale, I immediately dashed to my computer to measure up Mr. Man. And, he’s on the top of the list, the Mature Man. I am absolutely certain of this and I’ll write more later to explain why.

Get over to that post and check it out. I just didn’t want it to slip away into the blogosphere waste land because it’s really, really useful.

________

And as for that ear bug…

I tapped into the same medicine I bought last spring and Benjamin already feels better. Being cold and flu season I wanted you all to read this one again – my post on the best way to battle an ear infection. This, by the way, is the first one he’s had since I tried this natural at-home treatment last spring.

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When it comes to my son and his health…I always cave the minute a doctor says, “looks like he needs some antibiotics.”

I blame my knee-jerk and submissive reaction to 1. my ignorance about all things medical, 2. my severe guilt for being a full-time single working mom and 3. my desire to just get the hell out of his office because we’ve been waiting over an hour in that stuffy little room.

It’s happened three times this winter. We go in. Wait nearly two hours to see the pediatrician. And then leave 10 minutes later with a prescription for an ear infection. Always the same. This is followed by 10 days of hell as I force Benjamin to take the nasty stuff and spend a majority of my time cleaning his diarrhea diapers.

So when Benjamin started rubbing his ear this past weekend I tensed up. Oh no. No. Not again. I prayed it was a fluke but then he started shaking his head, then tipping it and finally pressing his ear to his shoulder while shrieking and crying in pain. Yep. Another ear infection.

Now, this should be the time that mommy runs to the pediatrician’s office and gets another antibiotic, right?

Nope. To hell with that guy and his stupid antibiotics. So I read up (online, of course). And look what I found. This article on Dr. Greene.com. He says a few things:

• Some kids really need them, but most don’t
• Antibiotics only speed the healing of an ear infection by a day or two
• Ear infection pain can be treated in other ways and,
• Most children recover completely without antibiotics*

I kept reading his site and found some homeopathic remedies like ear drops that sooth the pain and ear ache wellness chewable tablets. The next day I dragged Benjamin to Whole Foods and stocked up. And now, four days later and many, many nights of fevers and aching ears he’s feeling better.

Go, Benjamin Go! I knew you could do it!

Note to self: start acting like a real mom and read up on this stuff; ditch the guilt and find another pediatrician.

*[If your child is still spiking high fevers and in pain after 48 hours of said ear infection Dr. Greene recommends taking them to a physician]

UPDATE: The homeopathic stuff worked – he’s 100% better now…just 5 days after the first signs of that ear infection. Dr. Single Mommy rocks! And so do natural fixes.

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