In my house, it goes like this: one of my children goes to school and comes home a walking petri dish of germs, they get sick for 18 hours, my husband gets a scratchy throat and doesn't complain, and then I get sick and stay sick for the next two weeks. So when it comes to dealing with a 'man cold', I have to admit that I've got it pretty good.
We all know the man cold, right? The minor virus that can turn even the toughest guy into a whining, tissue hogging mess. While it seems like dudes are the primary sufferers of the man cold, after talking to some friends I've come to realize that the man cold can strike anyone, regardless of gender. All you need is an adult with the sniffles and a strong desire to lay on the couch and complain.
Cold and flu season is here, so now seems like a good time to share some stories about what it is really like living with a partner who has a cold. These stories are oh-so-relatable and will have you convinced that the time to stock up on cold medicine and hot tea is now.
Image via iStock.com/ BraunS
The Wimp
"My husband is the total stereotype here! I get a cold and I still have to run the house and deal with the kids. He gets a cold and he is on the couch, whining and acting needier than the kids. It drives me crazy!" — Amy R., Abilene, Texas
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Tummy Troubled
"OMG — my husband doesn't get the man cold, but he does get the man tummy. He is petrified of throwing up, so any stomach weirdness has him freaked out.
Last week he almost called 911 because he was convinced he was having an appendix attack. Yeah, it was gas. He felt instantly better once he farted." — Lindsay T., Maplewood, Minnesota
(Wo)Man Cold
"I have to confess. I'm totally the one who gets the 'man cold' in our house. My husband usually powers through but I'm a take to my bed with a cup of tea kind of gal. I require the expensive tissues, endless cups of orange juice, and lots of sympathy." — Janelle E., Coralville, Iowa
Total Tough Guy
"I'll never accuse my husband of having a man cold again! I gave him a hard time last time because he had been sick for days and kept saying he wasn't getting better. I thought he was just being a wimp, until he finally went to the doctor. They diagnosed him with double pneumonia and sent him to the ER by ambulance. I feel so guilty after that!" — Hannah M., Grand Rapids, Michigan
Mama's Boy
"The thing that bugs me about my boyfriend isn't that he gets wimpy when he is sick (although he does), it is that he wants his MOM to come take care of him, not me.
And she is way too happy to come and baby him. Honey — I can make you soup from the can too! Her canned soup isn't magic!" — Lynn P., Bloomington, Indiana
Stubborn Snorer
"My husband has seasonal allergies and he basically snores like a freight train when he is all stuffed up. But when I ask him to sleep in the guest room so I can actually get sleep too, he acts like I'm a monster who is trying to kick him out to be mean. I just want some sleep!!"
More from CafeMom: 10 Most Annoying Husband Habits
Big Baby
"My husband really, really, REALLY likes to be babied when he is sick. Like, literally. He wants me to read to him and to lay with his head in my lap so I can stroke his head. It is borderline cute and annoying. He also wants to eat like a kid too. Lots of applesauce squeeze packs and requests for grilled cheese sandwiches." — Abbie W., Tucson, Arizona
Medicine Refuser
"Ugh! The thing that makes me crazy is that my husband will NOT take medicine. Like ever. And he has allergies that make him have a runny nose and he'd rather blow his nose 5,000 times a day than take the allergy medicine the doctor gave him.
So I'm the lucky person who gets to listen to him blow his nose 5,000 times a day. I live in a house of used tissues." — Carly W., Raleigh, North Carolina
Milking It
"It isn't a man cold exactly, but my husband is currently on day four of being home on medical leave.
For having a vasectomy.
His doctor said he'd need one day off, max. But he is still feeling a little 'tender' so he is taking the whole week off. And doing nothing but watching TV in the basement." — Name withheld by request
Sick Day Diva
"I work from home, so nothing is more annoying than when my husband stSick ays home sick. Dude — I don't have time to wait on you hand and foot! I'm at work. I don't make you stay home and make soup when I'm sick. Buck up, camper!" — Patrice J., San Diego, California
Paranoid Papa
"I just had a major marriage moment about this! Our little one (our first) just got sick for the first time. It was so sad, he was so pitful and miserable — which makes sense because he is just a baby!
But I discovered that my husband is so paranoid about getting sick that he was refusing to hold the baby or to deal with his diapers or anything that might expose him to germs. Well. That is just not going to work. We had a major blow up about it.
A sick baby is both parent's responsibility, jackass! I was floored and so mad. I don't want to get sick either, but c'mon now!" — Name withheld by request
