Are you / your mate good at judging (fever) temperature by touch?

[lucyanna girl]

My DD is battling a mystery decease. Her temperature tonight was 102.9. (down now, thank goodness). I have always been able to judge my children's temp fairly close by touching their foreheads. DH on the other hand is hopeless but thinks he can do the same. Earlier when DD's temp was so high I sent her to him to feel her head. I just asked him if he realized how high it had been and he told me she didn't feel very warm to him. When I told him what it was he was amazed because "she didn't feel that hot". She really was as hot as a firecracker.

Are you or your mate best at this?

Penny

 

[JessicaR]

I've become good at it as the years progress. I'm usually very accurate putting my lips to their forehead. My husband can just tell they have a fever but not what the actual temp is.

I am hoping your daughter's illness is nothing but a virus and disappears as mysteriously as it appeared. I hate when the kids are sick.

 

[minkydog]

this is an ongoing discussion in my house. I was taught by my mother to kiss a forehead to tell if they have a fever. Even thought I'm a nurse, so I know about thermometers and all, I still go right to the old "kiss test" and I'm rarely wrong. DH, on the other hand, puts his palm on their heads, pronounces "HIGH FEVER!!" and before you can turn around he's got sick kids on the couch. They're always so disappointed when I kiss them and tell them they really do have to go to school.

 

[RitaZ.]

this is an ongoing discussion in my house. I was taught by my mother to kiss a forehead to tell if they have a fever.

Same here. I'm pretty good at it. DH isn't quite as accurate.

 

[CathrynRose]

I can't tell the actual temp, but can always tell if/when they have a fever. But I've been doing this awhile. My boys are 18 & 14.

But my mom and grandma never touched my forhead. They always touched the back of their hand to my cheek, and if it felt warm, the side of my neck.

That's what I've always done.

What a simple, but interesting thread. Good topic, OP!

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[diznygirl]

Yes, I feel it on their bodies too. They can have a warm face but a cool body, but when they have a fever their whole body is hot.

 

[TerryKitten]

I can tell they are having a fever by kissing their head. Not by the number, just that they are warmer than normal. DH isn't much of a judge unless they are burning up.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

We use a thermometer to be sure, because when we call the Dr he wants to know the temp...but my mom also taught me to use my cheek to test for the heat of a fever, not my hand.

 

[ColleenG]

I can judge with my cheek on their forhead to the whole degree. 10X.? DH is an ER nurse and will ask me if I think they feel warm. I always get the thermometer out afterwards just to be sure and to know to tell the doctor if we need to call.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

I can tell if my kids have a fever just by looking at them. They have a glazed eye look and the cheeks are usually pink. If I put my lips or back of my hand to their forehead I can usually get a pretty good idea of how high the temp is. It's a gift we mothers have

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We call it the "Mommy Thermometer" and mine tends to work pretty well!

When my youngest son was 4, we were on our way to Disneyland and stopped over for the night about 1/2 way. He was sleeping with me and I noticed he was more restless than usual. So I reached over and felt his face and he was burning up. I woke him up and gave him Tylenol but we didn't have a thermometer with us. The next morning, we took him to an urgent care place. The nurse asked me what I thought his temp was before she took it. I said, "Right now, he feels like he's about 100.2 but last night he was probably around 104." She took his temp and it was exactly 100.2! She said I was probably right about the middle of the night temp, too since many moms can accurately gauge their kid's temps. Poor guy ended having a double ear infection but it didn't stop him from having fun. He tends to bounce back pretty fast!