“Mummy, I don’t feel good.” Sound familiar?
It’s the call of a child who’s stuck in bed with a dreaded cold or flu. It breaks your heart to see your child in discomfort and upset, but luckily there are plenty of things you can do to cheer them up while they get better. Here are 9 simple yet clever ways to help your sick child have fun during recovery.
Symptom Soothers
These three soothing strategies help your little ones fight common cold and flu symptoms and keep boredom at bay:
1. Make a splash. Kids feel less miserable when they’re warm and distracted, so have a warm bath and stock the tub with toys: floating animals, cars and boats, maybe even special crayons to draw designs on the sides of the bathtub!
2. Caring for a sick stuffed animal. If your child feels very ill, rest is best. Make those extra naptimes more fun by pretending your child’s favourite animal is under the weather too. Tell your daughter that Teddy needs to take a nap so he’ll feel better, and she can tuck him into bed with her.
3. Go camping, indoors. Rest is more appealing when it’s in a special spot. Pitch a tent in the living room or make a fort by draping a blanket over a table. Make it a comfy, kid-friendly zone with pillows, blankets, a sleeping bag, and a lamp.
Feel-good Projects
Take your child’s mind off their cold and flu symptoms with these three crafty creations:
4. Make a sick-day tool kit. Decorate a plastic bin with stickers and fill it with your child’s favourite things: comic books, colouring books, craft supplies, stickers, and more. This super-fun box only comes out when your little one is sick, so they have something to look forward to when they’re feeling under the weather!
5. Play post office. Remember how your child’s teddy bear was ill with cold and flu, too? Have your child design a colourful get-well card for Teddy while you make one for her. Then, assign someone as the mail carrier to deliver the mail.
6. Show off. Create cheerful animal puppets together out of paper bags or socks, then put on a puppet show while your child rests in bed. Here’s a potential storyline: Focus the plot on an animal that stays home with cold and flu, who then makes a speedy recovery after receiving a card from your child.
Get-well Games
Laughter can be the best medicine, so here are three ways to put a smile on your child’s face:
7. Play "Sick Simon Says." Let your sick child give you silly commands to do for five minutes every hour ("walk like a duck," "hop on one foot," or "oink like a pig").
8. Picture this. Make a DIY puzzle: Have your child choose a favourite photo and print it out. Glue it to a piece of cardboard, and then cut out pieces in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle so he or she can put it back together.
9. Have fun with cards. Stock up on card games, which are easier to play in bed than board games. Short on cards? Set up a memory matching game with photos of family and friends.