My daughter is sick today. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual occurrence during the school year. Luckily for her, she gets better quickly. Sadly for me, I tend to pick up the bug a few days after she does and it sticks. Poor, poor me. I digress.
Aside from copious quantities of television, what do you do with a sick preschooler? I’m the sort who doesn’t like being stuck in the house, let alone stuck on the couch with a preschooler who is feeling unhappy. Anyway, if you find yourself short on temper, short on sleep, or short on ideas of what to do on a sick day, here are a few ideas that you can have up your sleeve:
• A great movie
Yes, we do television, but usually we do no more than half an hour a day. However, I love to watch movies with my daughter. At garage sales, find some good movies and save a few special ones as a surprise for a sick day.
• A new book
Whether it’s from the library or a stash from the book store, a new book is a good thing to share with a sick child. Our favorite today was The Gruffalo.
• A quiet craft
We are lucky enough to have a little bit of space in our home for a craft area. I also have a nice cabinet in the living room with boxes that are strategically stocked with paints, pens, paper, and other craft essentials. However, it’s good to have some “crafts in a box” for those days when your little one is sick but somewhat active.
• Bubbles, silly putty, and play dough
This activity depends on your tolerance for mess and the space that you have available. I have a teeny tiny bubble container and a selection of very small play dough containers, slicers, and cookie cutters. If you have a lap mat, these are good quiet sick day activities.
• Paper, envelopes, stickers, special pens
My daughter loves writing letters. This goes double if she can put something that resembles a stamp on the letter. We have the letters, postcards, and special fancy pens in a small suitcase that we can bring with us when we go to meetings. They’re also good for sick days because they’re really compact.
• Fruity drinks
We’re not normally ones to do the juice thing, but a fancy smoothie is a good way to get nutrients and liquids into a sick kid. On today’s menu was a strawberry and banana yogurt smoothie, the only item eaten today.
Do you have any great ideas for sick days?