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I was very sick with my third pregnancy. And two little ones....they were so sweet. At age four, my oldest son, decided he would take care of me. He would get me apple juice boxes and goldfish crackers. He took care of his brother...who was almost two. He really stepped up. Did not fuss with him...they played quietly by the sofa.
You might be surprised at how kids can be your caretaker...when given the responsibility.
I was very sick with my third pregnancy. And two little ones....they were so sweet. At age four, my oldest son, decided he would take care of me. He would get me apple juice boxes and goldfish crackers. He took care of his brother...who was almost two. He really stepped up. Did not fuss with him...they played quietly by the sofa.
You might be surprised at how kids can be your caretaker...when given the responsibility.
That's a great way of putting it. Not only does it give them something to do but teaches them something money can't buy.
I must tell this story. I think its the granddaddy of managing kids when you are ill.
About 10 years ago, we had planned a trip to the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky which is probably 2000 miles from where I live. My wife had some issues at work which at the last minute kept her from going. We had non-refundable airline tickets, so we decided I would take the kids by myself. The trip was to last six days. I don't know anyone (friend of family) in the state of Kentucky.
Second day of the trip, I come down with awful pain my abdomen which based on prior experience, I realized was a kidney stone. I had brought pain pills along in case something like happened. The pain pills weren't strong enough to help. After three hours of this, I knew I needed to go to a hospital. The kids were watching me and didn't know what to make out of me other than I was throwing up and sick as a dog. Somehow, I got the kids loaded into the car. Somehow, I managed to drive to the local hospital. If you have never had a kidney stone before, let me just say the pain is so bad its virtually impossible to describe.
The hospital got me on IV pain medication and that resolved most of my immediate issue. I was than given a stark choice:
1. They could admit me, in which case my children would have to be placed in foster care.
2. They could release me with pain medication and I would hope that would be sufficient until I passed the stone.
The choice was not a hard one and I left the hospital a few hours later with a bottle of pain pills. Our trip plans changed. Instead of sightseeing, I arranged for us to hang out at the motel for a couple of days. My nine year old son was a trooper and basically did those things that I was unable to do. I had food brought to the room and I was able to sit by the motel swimming pool and watch the kids play. Shortly thereafter, I passed the stone. We were able to visit the Mammoth Caves the last day before we flew home and take a couple of cave tours.
Two things got me through the trip:
1. Necessity. As a parent, I've learned you do what you have to do, or you literally die in the attempt.
2. A nine year old son who wanted to help and could follow directions.
I must tell this story. I think its the granddaddy of managing kids when you are ill.
About 10 years ago, we had planned a trip to the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky which is probably 2000 miles from where I live. My wife had some issues at work which at the last minute kept her from going. We had non-refundable airline tickets, so we decided I would take the kids by myself. The trip was to last six days. I don't know anyone (friend of family) in the state of Kentucky.
Second day of the trip, I come down with awful pain my abdomen which based on prior experience, I realized was a kidney stone. I had brought pain pills along in case something like happened. The pain pills weren't strong enough to help. After three hours of this, I knew I needed to go to a hospital. The kids were watching me and didn't know what to make out of me other than I was throwing up and sick as a dog. Somehow, I got the kids loaded into the car. Somehow, I managed to drive to the local hospital. If you have never had a kidney stone before, let me just say the pain is so bad its virtually impossible to describe.
The hospital got me on IV pain medication and that resolved most of my immediate issue. I was than given a stark choice:
1. They could admit me, in which case my children would have to be placed in foster care.
2. They could release me with pain medication and I would hope that would be sufficient until I passed the stone.
The choice was not a hard one and I left the hospital a few hours later with a bottle of pain pills. Our trip plans changed. Instead of sightseeing, I arranged for us to hang out at the motel for a couple of days. My nine year old son was a trooper and basically did those things that I was unable to do. I had food brought to the room and I was able to sit by the motel swimming pool and watch the kids play. Shortly thereafter, I passed the stone. We were able to visit the Mammoth Caves the last day before we flew home and take a couple of cave tours.
Two things got me through the trip:
1. Necessity. As a parent, I've learned you do what you have to do, or you literally die in the attempt.
2. A nine year old son who wanted to help and could follow directions.
Now that's an experience you'll never forget! There are times as a parent when you look back and you just wonder how in the heck you got through that.
About 5 days after my newborn 2nd son and I had come home from the hospital, my oldest son came down with a nasty stomach virus. He no sooner recovered and dh and I came down with it. We spent the next couple of days sick as dogs taking care of a newborn baby and a 2 year old. (And I had given birth via c-section to boot). I look back now and wonder how on earth we did it.
I grouse a lot about DH not being able to cook but he has been a real champ in other areas.
When it was time to leave DH and our 11 month old daughter to go back to Vietnam to pick up our second Vietnamese daughter who was 6 months old, we arranged for him to take Family Leave for the approximate 3 weeks my trip would take. I ended up stuck in VN with a new baby with terrible visa problems for 6 weeks. DH relied on a wonderful lady who used to work at our Mothers Day Out at church. I finally got on the plane coming home and knew something just wasn't right but figured it was being away from home for so long.
I had to spend the night in a hotel in St Louis on our way home to Atlanta and I started feeling really horrible but the baby was doing OK. We made it home and I placed our new daughter in her new crib and she immediately threw up and had diarrhea at the same time. Got her cleaned up but was afraid to even touch my other daughter who by this time had her first birthday which I missed cause I was stuck in VN. I went upstairs and it hit me. I barely made it to the bathroom. But I remember being so thankful I held it off till I was home.
Finally DH called an ambulance after I fell to the floor trying to get to the bed. I spent 3 days on IVs in hospital and left my DH with a 12 month old baby and a 7 month old sick baby who he had just met. It was a pretty bad situation. On top of that we had a 16 year old exchange student from Vietnam who was a princess, never washed a dish or made a bed in her life and she wasn't about to help in any way. Somehow DH did not get sick and managed to keep everything from falling off the rails with a spoiled 16 year old princess, a year old toddler and a 7 month old new baby. he was 63 at the time. When I got home I asked him how he did it and all he said was "You do what you gotta do". It took me some weeks to fully recover and it was then I realized not everything has to be done like you would really like it---the most important thing was we were all finally together and we could manage.
I have been sick for a few days...I always get their colds. They seem to be feeling better, but not me!
Anyway, what do you do with them when you are sick? I feel bad b/c we are couped up in the house and all we are doing is just watching tv. The last 3 days has just been tv, tv, and more tv. I try and turn it off and go play with them, but they always want to be on me and want me to read andmy throat is killing me. (I go to the Dr tomorrow) So back to the tv we go.
Just curious what you all do. I have toddler twins (21 months)
When my kids were small and I was sick we watched tv. It sounds bad but so far they are ok. My 18 year old was admitted to college and is doing well with his studies. My 16 and 13 year old are both honors students. A few days of tv didn't do much to stunt their intellectual development.
I hope you feel better soon. Your kids will be ok.
I do the TV thing too.. I have Fibro as it is so I'm daily in a lot of pain and deal with a slew of awful symptoms from dizziness to headaches etc.
I let her play a lot of dress up like walking around in my shoes.
I put a big bowl of water in the bathtub (or outside whatever is easier) and give her a wisk and let her wisk water while I drop single drops of food coloring in it, she loves the swirls and its EASY to just dump down the drain and start a new color.
I put finger paint in a big gallon food bag and close it, then tape it to a table on all four sides and let her squish the paint around.. Its no messes and she can make shapes and it feels cool and squishy. When she's done just throw away the bag.
Kids+ a bowl of cotton balls.. nuff said..they love the fluff and feel.. Its minimal pick up work and easier than chasing kids around.
I remember really well when I got really sick when DD was a newborn. She was 3 weeks old and I was still recovering from my C-section. DH had started back to work 2 days earlier and really could not take more time off because we had no income if he took more time off. I was exhausted (remember she was a newborn, lol) so when he was leaving for work, I thought that was all that was wrong with me. A couple of hours later, DD started crying in her crib and when I stood up, I collapsed to the floor. There I was with my phone on one side of the house and the crying baby on the other side of the house and I was too weak to stand. I couldn't even get my body to cooperate enough to crawl. I ended up dragging my body very slowly across the house to the phone and just hitting redial. It happened to call one of my friends. She was stuck somewhere over an hour away, but she started making calls for me since I couldn't even figure out how to find numbers to call. The next thing I know, her mother in law is pulling up into my driveway and breaking into my house to get to us. A few minutes later, my ex-step-grandmother-in -law is pulling up. They split up the tasks and one stayed with the baby and the other took me to the hospital. That was the scariest day of my life. Not being able to get to my baby when she needed me. Luckily, I have a great support system especially in an emergency.
Regarding a slightly older child though, we have always depended on TV. I always get better much faster when I give myself time to rest and recuperate. I am a much better Mommy when I am well. I am not doing myself or DD any favors by trying to overextend myself just to avoid watching TV. Even if she is bored, she will forget those days as soon as I am better and we can have more fun.
My twins always went to grandma's house when I was sick and my husband was at work, but luckily I only had to do that 2 or 3 times before they reached school age.
This doesn't work well with younger kids, but I have a policy of not allowing bored kids at my house. If they're bored, they have to find something to do, or I will give them a chore. So when I am sick, I can pretty much stay in bed and they will entertain themselves. My kids are 6 and 10. My husband and I were both pretty sick a few weeks ago, and the kids ate cereal, yogurts and sandwiches at mealtimes, and cleaned up after their meals.
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