13 Ways to Make Any Illness Easier For Your Child.

 

If you read my post about Febrile Seizures, you may remember my mentioning of my month of hell. March has been a whirlwind of unfortunate events for me and my daughter. During the first week of March, I dealt with agonizing ulcers in my eyes. The following Monday, when I was ready to get back to work, my daughter caught a cold. By the end of the week, the cold escalated into RSV. Sweet Baby Melody had a febrile seizure and was left miserable and traumatized. As we rolled into the third week of March, Melody had recovered from her illness and was back to her trouble-loving self for one day before she began showing signs of the stomach flu. For the next couple days she was vomiting all over my bedspread. Can you believe our luck?! I've come to the conclusion that the Irish hate us.

Despite this dreadful Irish “luck”, I learned so much about coping with a sick toddler and devised a few ways to make the experience easier for you and your little one!

Distract from the sickness.

When your darling is ill, both of you will be spending a lot of time around the house. It seems that the situation is commonly treated with a week full of cartoons, a floor of tissues, and lots of laying around. Turn the miserable, unlucky event into a new opportunity by doing what you can to make the sickness fun and special, instead of drab and awful!

• My mother used to treat unfortunate events with retail therapy. Though I don't exactly have the budget for a new dollhouse every time my daughter isn't feeling well, I've found that a few dollar store toys and new coloring books make all the difference to a toddler! Lift their spirits with new activities and games, and they're sure to forget their self-pity!
• Turn lazy, recovering time on the couch into an exciting event! Grab a bowl of popcorn, some new treats or popsicles, tons of blankets, and snuggle up together to watch a new or favorite movie! They'll be delighted to share the experience with their mommy or daddy!
• Deviate from the norm! Put the chores on hold, take some time off work if you can, and leave the errands for later. This should be their time. Spend time doing things you don't usually have the time for when your child is at daycare or you're at work. Make a fort out of blankets where you can read books and color pictures, or engage in some arts and crafts.
• Give your child the chance to be the “doctor”. While Melody was ill, I wanted her to know that it was okay, that everyone gets sick. How do you relay that to a child? You get the toys in on it. Explain to your child that their toys are sick too, and treat them accordingly. It started with me pretending to give Lamby medicine and making sure Bear had a blanket while they watched cartoons together. It wasn't long before Melody began treating her stuffed friends with the same care that I was treating her. She wanted to give them medicine, feed them popsicles, and give them plenty of hugs and kisses. She began to focus less on her own sickness and more on the well-being of her toys. The act unexpectedly taught her the meaning of empathy, helped her to adjust to her own illness, and it was just plain adorable.

Ease the symptoms.

Whether your child is feverish, congested, or throwing up everything they eat, there are many ways to ease the symptoms of the sickness.

1. For a fever, it's important to keep the temperature down to insure comfort and prevent a febrile seizure. Give your toddler some Children's Advil or Tylenol periodically to keep the fever from escalating. Don't pile on the blankets and fuzzy pajamas, let your child get some fresh air on a cool day, or press a cold, wet cloth against their skin.
2. If it's congestion you're dealing with, steam will be your greatest tool. Keep a humidifier in their room while they're sleeping and let them sit in a steamy shower with you. Vapor rub is also a great way to temporarily relieve their congestion. I'm not a huge fan of the booger sucker (who is?) but if your child is young enough, an extremely stuffy nose can cause dangerous breathing difficulties. Make sure to keep their nasal passages as clear as possible.
3. When children have the flu, it's important to keep them hydrated with plenty of water and other fluids. I recommend buying some Pedialyte, which is made to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes. If they won't drink it, I've found that freezing it in those make-your-own popsicle containers provide a fun and beneficial treat that will also soothe their sore throat!
4. For the typical symptoms of a common cold, I aim for comfort. To soothe a cough that leaves a little throat sore and dry, I offer my daughter cold snacks like yogurt and popsicles in an attempt to numb the pain. Those Pedialyte Popsicles that I mentioned above are fantastic. On the flip side, you can give your child warm soups and drinks to alleviate the tightness of the throat. For body aches, draw a warm bath for your little one and reduce any physical activities that may strain the muscles.

Keep your angel comfortable.

We've all been sick before. We know what it's like to feel drowsy, sore, and upset. By keeping your child comfortable, you can make the sickness a little more bearable.

• Forget about the pig tails and jeans. Let your kid enjoy a pajama day!
• Keep them cozy with stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets throughout the day. Whether it was a “tea party” or a movie, my daughter loved to be surrounded by her stuffed toys and soft blankets.
• Avoid physical exertion. Let them relax at home instead of running errands with you. Keep the activities easy and simple.
• Let them sleep! I often worried that my daughter was napping for too long or sleeping in too late. If you're little one is ready for bed, but it's not their scheduled nap time, let them sleep anyway! It may throw off their sleep schedule, but that can be easily rectified. Children need plenty of sleep and rest for their bodies to heal.

I hope this brief post was helpful! By soothing the sickness, we can turn a miserable event into a slightly more enjoyable occasion! Do you have any methods or tricks up your sleeve that I haven't mentioned? I would love to hear them!

As always, happy parenting!