# Do you turn into a whiny baby when you're sick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572 "2008-10-05T17:37:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/1 "2008-10-05T17:37:12Z")
My husband can be hospitalized with his heart condition and do fine. But give him nausea with vomiting or a cold and he turns into a two-year-old shrieking and whining and expecting me to stand by him and serve him to the exclusion of all else. I’m back downstairs so that I am not tempted to strangle him for his whininess. Are you a whiny baby when you’re sick? Do you force your loved ones to avoid you out of fear they may strangle you? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/2 "2008-10-05T17:42:40Z")
Nope, I’m a good patient. As I’m a nurse, I would have to kill myself if I were any trouble to anyone. IMO, the only people who get to be babies about being sick are those under age about 5 or so. (being hurt is something else–a common cold will not go away faster if you whine about it. I’ll provide the hot soup and tea, kleenex and books or the remote. The rest is up to you.) I confess I don’t understand adults who think the world should stop because they have a fever/headcold/laryngitis. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/3 "2008-10-05T17:46:00Z")
Nope, I prefer people to stay the hell away from me if I’m sick. The only thing I want, if I’m too sick to get out of bed, is for someone to bring me a sprite and maybe some soup once in a great while. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/4 "2008-10-05T17:50:56Z")
No. When I’m sick I am not whiny. Actually, the very last thing I want is attention. Just leave me alone to sulk in peace. I do not want to be bothered unless someone is spurting blood that hasn’t stopped after an hour of using direct pressure, or there is a serious fire that can’t be put out with our fire extinguishers. Everyone at our house is an adult. They can fend for themselves for as long as I need to recover. I will not try to rush things. I’ll be back amongst the living when I feel up to it, and not before. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/5 "2008-10-05T17:52:59Z")
Yes, I’m pretty whiny if you’re dumb enough to stay around me, but I mostly just tell people to go away. And maybe to find me some ginger ale or some pills or something. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/6 "2008-10-05T18:28:49Z")
I try to control myself, but yes I get very cranky and irritable when I’m sick. I warn people at least and tell them not to take it personally. ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/7 "2008-10-05T18:45:52Z")
Personally, I seclude myself as much as possible when I’m ill. The malfunctioning of my bodily operations is not something I’m interested in any one else knowing about. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/8 "2008-10-05T18:47:32Z")
Another vote for leave me the hell alone. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/9 "2008-10-05T19:39:38Z")
Pretty much I just want to sleep. I am in the “leave me alone crowd.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/10 "2008-10-05T22:09:32Z")
It depends. When I’m sick, the only thing I want from you is that you to leave me alone. If you don’t, I’m irritable because I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE. I can make my own soup and stuff, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/11 "2008-10-05T23:55:36Z")
Depends on how much work I need to get done. I’ll get irritable and cranky one way or another, but, if I’m swamped with work, I usually ‘zone into’ it and radiate an aura of ‘leave me the fuck alone.’ If I have time to wallow in my crapulence, I do so. Sniffles, awww poor me, hack cough sniffle… ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/12 "2008-10-06T00:02:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Another vote for leave me the hell alone. 🙂 Yeah, this. Although if a kind soul brings me medicinal ice cream, I am most appreciative. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/13 "2008-10-06T00:33:01Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Yeah, this. Although if a kind soul brings me medicinal ice cream, I am most appreciative. They’d draw back a bloody nub! Of course, medicinal _alcohol…_ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/14 "2008-10-06T02:30:55Z")
I appreciatively accept my wife’s babying, but I don’t become an actually huge baby. My theory is that accepting babying makes me feel better and I do the same for her. So…sort of. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/15 "2008-10-06T02:42:20Z")
I don’t get sick. Seriously. The last sick day I took because I was actually sick was in 1997. I was really sick that time. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/16 "2008-10-06T03:06:31Z")
If I am sick and I can be left alone on the floor of the bathroom with my book and a 2 liter of 7-Up no one will hear a peep out of me but if I have to focus on anything other than being sick I have to cry for a bit. I don’t whine and bitch but I will cry to myself for a while. I don’t know if that is better or worse, really. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/17 "2008-10-06T09:57:57Z")
When I’m sick I pretty much want to be left alone. I don’t like being hovered over, although I don’t mind the Hubs bringing me a glass of water in bed. I’m sure this attitude is due to my mother not being very nurturing in my childhood, therefore I got used to suffering alone. My husband, on the other hand, is very whiny when he gets a flu or virus. The macho guy that I would trust with my life in any other circumstance turns into a helpless baby that needs constant monitoring. I don’t mind, actually. I like taking care of him because it makes me feel powerful. Again, the mother thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/18 "2008-10-06T10:16:25Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > It depends. When I’m sick, the only thing I want from you is that you to leave me alone. If you don’t, I’m irritable because I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE. I can make my own soup and stuff, thanks. Me too. The problem is that when my wife is sick she likes to be waited on, and so assumes that I also like to be waited on when I’m sick. Crankiness always ensues. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/19 "2008-10-06T10:31:50Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > It depends. When I’m sick, the only thing I want from you is that you to leave me alone. If you don’t, I’m irritable because I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE. I can make my own soup and stuff, thanks. Yes. And to stop asking whether I’m feeling better already. No, I’m not: it’s a cold, it’s the third or fourth day, I’ll start feeling better tomorrow or the day after and geroffmyface! I’ve had to learn to warn people, though, so that for example they don’t expect me to do heavy lifting on precisely the day when my back is trying to divorce the rest or me, or prepare the salad on exactly the day I have a case of The Sniffles which I know for sure is due to infection and not allergies. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572/20 "2008-10-06T12:21:38Z")
I’m with the “leave me alone” crowd. If I’m ill, chances are it’s just a cold so I want to lay in bed or on the sofa watching carcrash TV and sleeping until I feel better. Of course, I also want you to come along now and again to ask me if I want a cup of tea or something…so you really have to be a bit of a mindreader to know whether it’s full blown “gerroff” or just a mild case! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-turn-into-a-whiny-baby-when-youre-sick/466572.md?page=2)