Nanny to Mommy

It is a horrible time when our children are unwell, but as they spend so much time outside and with other kids at school, they end up being around a lot of bugs and eventually pick things up. It is inevitable and as awful as it is to see them get sick, they will recover, and it is the parent's job to help them get through it as painlessly and as comfortably as possible. There are a few things you can do to help them get through being unwell.

One of the first things is to get them comfortable, the prime place is for them to be in their bed or to make up a bed on the sofa for the day so you can keep an eye on them, and they are all snuggled up. Depending on if they have a fever or not you can get them a hot water bottle. Keep the windows open so they have fresh air.

A special thing to help them get through is you could get an unwell box which is full of treats and goodies to help them feel better. This could be a new movie to watch while they are in bed, a new book or a magazine to read. You could get them some sweets or cough sweets. You could even get them a teddy or a new toy to keep their mind off feeling poorly. The possibilities are endless and depending on your child's preferences and personality you can adapt the box to suit them and make them happy.

The next thing to think about is food, a lot of people have certain foods or comfort foods that their parents make when they are unwell or maybe just a favorite they have. It brings sentiment to it and as they get older it is what they will want when they are unwell which will not only be a nice meal but will emotionally mean a lot to them too. Soups are a great thing for when kids are sick, they are full of goodness and easy to have. You could look at how to make tomato soup and pair it with a cheese toasty for a real comfort meal.

The obvious thing is to seek medical advice. If it is something which doesn’t improve, or you are worried then you can look to get advice and help from a professional. They will be able to tell you exactly what is wrong and how to treat it.

When they are not feeling great, they are going to be a bit needier and feel vulnerable and upset so it is important to be there for them and show them that you are. Sit and cuddle with them on the sofa, stay with them through the night if you need to. It is all about making them feel safe and looked after and isn’t that what being a parent is all about? Then when they feel better and are back to being themselves, you can enjoy getting back to normal.