For me, my daughters, and at least one son, this flu has turned into bronchitis. We haven't been this sick in years. If you haven't caught this flu yet (hopefully you won't), check out this link from WebMD. You'll discover what distinguishes a cold from the flu, and how flu symptoms in infants, toddlers, and young children can be different from the symptoms an adult might experience.

If you think your flu may have progressed into bronchitis, check out this page to make sure. You will also find valuable information on determining if your bronchitis has progressed into pneumonia--something not to take lightly.

Know your symptoms, know your children's symptoms. If something doesn't "feel right," it probably isn't. Never hesitate to call your doctor. You can at least talk to the nurse about the symptoms you or your child are experiencing.

I, personally, am a big fan of using aromatherapy in easing the symptoms of colds, the flu, and bronchitis--and a host of other ailments. Here is a portion of an email I sent to family and friends yesterday outlining just what I'm doing for us:

I'm pretty sure we have bronchitis now, and am realizing Jesse had it first. Not sure if Joel did -- may have, since he's still coughing (he was the first of all of us to get sick, and has been great about helping the rest of us now that we've gotten it). So, first the flu, now this.

Erica and I have the worst of the cough right now. Bethany is coughing, too, though, and I know it really scares her. She was having a tough time tonight, but was able to cough up a lot of junk and then calmed right down. ("Icky!" was her word for it...) We're all (except Joel) still running low fevers, achy, have occasional chills, etc.

Joel is pretty much all better now, just coughing a bit, but Jesse still has a nasty cough. So...I made him a chest rub with Sweet Almond Oil (for a carrier), and 2 drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils. Erica and I are also using the same rub, along with some lavender essential oil. She and I are also using heat packs placed over the oils on our chests/necks, which really seems to be helping with the coughing and chest pain. If Bethany's cough gets worse, I'll make a VERY diluted rub for her, and will probably sit and watch a movie with her to distract her from me holding the heat pack to her chest (not too hot, of course).

Also have the humidifier going for the girls -- it has a fan on it to blow out steam mixed with eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender oils. Lavender is an antiviral and antispasmodic.

Just thought I'd share my routine with the essential oils and heat in case this stuff hits any of you. Also drinking lots of herbal tea with honey. "Throat Coat" with echinacea is a good one. (Everything I mentioned is available at Fred Meyer in the natural foods department.)

I must say I DO NOT recommend the use of essential oils on children under 6, unless used in very diluted amounts, and you must know what you're doing. Do some research before using, and you'll discover wonderful aromatherapy "recipes" for bath oils, chest rubs, diffusers, and the like. Two authors I highly recommend are Valerie Genari-Cooksley and Maggie Tisserand. Information can also be found online, of course.