Caring for a Sick Child
Nice Things to Do When Your Kids are Under the Weather
There are lots of little loving things you can do to make children feel better when cold and flu season hits your home.
“Mommy, I don’t feel good.”
Don’t run, don’t hide! You’re the parent here, and as much as you dread hearing those words, kids get sick and you have to put on your nurse’s cap.
As a parent, making your sick child feel better is your first instinct. Sometimes that requires more than measuring out the Children’s Tylenol.
Here are some “little extras” you can do to make your children feel better when they get bitten by the flu bug or just get the sniffles.
- Make a nice spot for your child’s “sick bed,” preferably where there is a TV, and where the lights can be turned down and the blinds closed if he’s trying to sleep during the day.
- Put a fluffy comforter and some pillows on a family room couch, pull a table close by and set up a little room for him, complete with some puzzles and books, a box of tissues and a glass of water.
- Dig through your old videos and DVDs and find a movie he used to love when he was younger. Chances are he hasn’t watched it in ages, it wouldn’t be something he’d choose if he were more active, and he’ll enjoy the novelty of it.
- Check out books from the library, rent a video or buy some fun magazines, if you’re able to leave the house.
- Bring out some old toys. No matter what their age, when kids are not feeling well they like to revert back to playing with the Etch-a-Sketch, Colorforms or paper dolls.
- Give him some hard candy. It can soothe a mild sore throat as much as a cough drop and it tastes better.
- Look through old photo albums or watch old home movies.
- Give him a bell to ring for you, or give him a walkie talkie to let you know when he needs something. Sure, he’ll be ringing for you almost constantly for the first few hours, but soon the novelty will wear off and he’ll use it only when he needs it.
- A small bag of frozen peas in a large, stretchy tube sock makes a cool ice pack for feverish kids.
- To get children to drink more water, add some pizzazz. Add a lemon slice and a teaspoon of sugar, a drop of red food coloring and you’ve got pink lemonade-flavored water. Put it in a fancy cup and add a straw, even a little umbrella, and watch the kids gulp it down.
- Make up Get Well Box by filling a shoe box with cough drops, hard candy, tissues, a bottle of water or Gatorade, puzzle books or other activity books, and a “get well” message from you. When your child is home sick, he’ll be cheered when given the Get Well Box.
Don't neglect your own health. A healthy parent is the best caregiver of all. Take extra good care of yourself and your own health as you care for your sick child.
If you do catch the bug and are sick with your children, here are some ways to survive sickness with children at home.
When preparing for fall and winter weather, stock up on cough and cold medicine, cough drops, fever and pain reducer, and be sure you have a working vaporizer.
