With winter arriving and a lot of kids having been isolated from germs for so long, it’s normal to have illnesses running through our homes. There are some added stresses now that we live with the threat of COVID of course. Not to mention all of the other winter . . .
sicknesses like ear aches, bronchitis, colds, flu, pneumonia and others that we’ve faced year after year.
Having sick kids is the worst. Not only is it awful to see them so sad and so sick knowing there’s not much you can do to help them, it’s also hard to play the guessing game. I’m always guessing as to whether or not I should be running them to the Emergency Room or CLSC or if I should be trying to see my doctor. Again, we now have the added bonus of figuring out if they need to be tested for COVID.
When looking for a resource available 24 hours a day to answer questions, consider calling 811. They really help appease my worries. They ask lots of questions and advise me on whether or not I should present myself to emergency, try to get a doctor’s appointment or wait it out. Of course, if you ever feel your child needs to be seen by a doctor immediately, better safe than sorry — head to the Emergency.
In terms of making them comfortable when they’re sick I’ve come up with a few things that have helped us this fall. Of course it depends on the age of your child or children but here’s what we’ve been trying:
- With a baby, they want mommy. I used to wear my little ones when they were not feeling good. This seemed to make them happier and allowed me to still do a few things. I used a carrier but wraps are also very popular. There are even websites for trading carriers/wraps locally.
- Get some fresh air, even if it means sitting in a stroller in the driveway for a few minutes, get out there. Get everyone dressed warm and get outside to play with chalk, go for a walk or just check out what’s happening in your neighbourhood. Follow footsteps, blow bubbles, paint snow. This not only helps your child but can give you some renewed energy as well. We have added a dog to our family, so this really isn’t a choice in our family — she makes us get out sick or not and the walk sure helps rejuvenate all of us.
- Play with some low energy toys or games. Your child may not want to do much more than sleep, so if that’s the case have some simple things ready for when they wake up. Some things we’ve been playing with are Play-Doh, puzzles, reading lots of stories, memory games, connect the dot pages and colouring. If they can’t get off the couch, a movie may help take their mind off their sickness.
- Keep them hydrated. Have a cup of water with them at all times. They may not have much of an appetite but keeping them drinking is really important. Popsicles can also sometimes help keep them hydrated, soups, and juices are also great options.
- In terms of food, offer it to them throughout the day. Offer a variety of options as they may not feel like eating very much. We had lots of popsicles and yogurt tubes. Trying to get them to eat healthy options is important but may not always work when they aren’t feeling well. In the end, anything is better than nothing.
- Lets face it, you’re not going to have tons of time to cook. This is when healthy soups might be a great dish to prepare. I have tried a recipe I found online for a delicious chicken, orzo soup. It’s really quick and simple and you can add as many veggies as you like. I added some marjoram spice to this soup and we all love it.
- Disinfect — your kids will love helping out with this. Gather up the toys and throw them in the sink with some warm water and soap and let them wash them. Throw any stuffies or baby cloth toys in the washing machine. Wash down surfaces in your home and clean the sheets. When you regain some energy do a thorough cleaning of your house to rid the air of all those icky germs.
Hope some of these tips help. Until next week, stay healthy and sane.
