We’ve got some sickkies going on at our house. Lydia started vomiting at her cousin’s house on Friday and is still a little white and listless this morning. Unfortunately, I caught it and have been throwing up this morning. So, this is fresh on my mind today: what to do with sick kids? Especially when you have another NOT sick kid in the house? And you are sick, too?
Well, my grandmother (mom of FOUR) always made her kids drink after each other. She said she’d rather have them be sick together than stretch it out for four weeks! I don’t think we’ll be trying that but here’s a few things we’ve done these past few days…and a few tips I got via twitter today!
1. Audio Books. It’s well documented that I LOVE audio books. We usually listen to them in the car. But Saturday, when Lydia was first sick and didn’t want to leave her bed, I brought my computer upstairs, downloaded a few Adventures in Odyssey (which I didn’t even need to do because they have several ready to listen to online for free!). Lydia got to rest in her bed while being entertained!
2. TV. Yup. The television. It is a happy make-the-time-fly-by activity. It’s comfy if you’re sitting on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and stuffed animal friend. It’s also a good time for you to catch up on something you need to get done, play with the other kids or catch a few winks yourself. My husband and daughter watched Mary Poppins yesterday and since we don’t usually watch movies, this was a big treat and made her feel very special even while sick.
3. Start a New Book. I started reading Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill to Lydia this week. We read 3 chapters in one afternoon. It’s not often she’ll sit still for that long. As a voracious reader, there is nothing more fun than reading for a long long time. This never happens with a 4 year old—unless she doesn’t feel well!
4. Bible Stories. I looked through our The Jesus Storybook Bible(did you expect something else?) and found two stories about people being healed from sickness. God’s Word boosts our faith and even if it is from a storybook, Lydia heard on her level that Jesus does care about her sickness and DOES heal!
5. Prayer and Scripture. Don’t just rely on Benadryl and Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a perfect opportunity to let your kids know that our first response in a hard situation is to turn to God. Stop and pray—not just before bed or a meal—but when she complains of stomach pain, is throwing up or has a fever. And punctuate your prayers with scripture. Here’s a few for you to peruse:
Psalm 103:1-3 God heals just like he forgives sins.
Proverbs 3:1-8 God’s Word brings healing.
Luke 4:40 Jesus healed.
Exodus 15:26 God, the Healer.
6. Give up. Don’t worry about the laundry, the dishes or the errands. Give up your expectations of the day and spend it loving on your child.
7. And my when I asked my twitter friends, here’s what they had to say…
So, all you non-sick people out there. What else can I do to make this sick-day a little better for all of us?
photo by sean dreilinger
man – sorry about being sick! We also do some board games/card games, b/c Elias is usually able to sit still long enough to do that, too. And lots of back rubs and tummy rubs…
we mostly sat on the couch and watched tv…then we went to bed and slept…and then we played with trains and dominos.
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Great ideas! The other thing that I grew up with (and my kids have too) is a sick box. It’s a special box (just a shoe box or tin with lid) that lives in the cupboard and is filled with little treasures and trinkets that only comes out of the cupboard for them to use when they’re sick.
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We just got past the stomach bug and we’re now on sore throats and fevers. Sensory activites keep my guy pretty entertained and since most of them can be done sitting down they’re great when being sick. All time fav is shaving cream (a.ka. snow) and a bunch of cars, or a car wash. Water spread germs VERY quickly so don’t play with it if there’s othe rkids not sick in the house.
Great post, the prayer is a good reminder.