When your child falls ill, it may feel like your whole world is out of order. You now have to take care of a miserable little one on top of everything else that requires your attention. It is tiring, and sometimes it can be confusing.
This guide will provide you with clear and supportive tips for when your child is ill. We will guide you through the steps that you can follow to understand what measures you can take to help a child heal quicker and in a comfortable, cozy atmosphere at home.
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Pause and Prioritize Their Needs
Life keeps moving, but you can pause part of it. Reprioritize and postpone what is not considered an urgent need, or allow yourself to go at a slower pace. See how you can put aside non-urgent work, errands, and even chores. Your child will be more relaxed and safer when they know you are paying full attention.
In fact, your child will feel that you prioritize them, and this, too, is medicine on its own.
Create A Cozy Environment
Your baby requires a comfortable place where they can sleep and heal. Prepare their bed or a couch using additional blankets and soft pillows. Turn off any lighting that will bother them, and keep some favorite stuffed dolls or animals nearby.
You can even have a sick day station all ready to go with tissues, a water bottle, and a thermometer nearby so you’re not running all over the place in a mad rush to get them what they need.
A touch of routine is also calming, even on sick days. Read them their most preferred book, or recount to them a silly story, or play soothing music in the background. Those reassuring habits help your child to understand that it is not so strange, the world is still familiar and is safe, even though the body seems strange. It can simply be a gesture of lying with them and holding their hand as they sleep, or simply staying by their side.
Feed And Keep Them Hydrated
Ensure that you keep your ill child hydrated. Offer small glasses of water, juice, or hot soup during the day. When they feel no mood for eating, do not impose it. They only require a gentle inducement. When they get hungry, offer light and healthy food. A good start is oatmeal, toast, or a banana.
Ensure Your Child Takes Medication Properly
Any slight sickness can make children miserable. Ensure you follow your pediatrician’s recommendations in terms of medication. For instance, your doctor will likely suggest fever medicine for kids to keep the fever at bay. Here are some additional things you can do:
- Dab a cold/warm piece of cloth on the feverish areas
- Use a saline mist on a congested nose
- Some hot soup on a sore throat will do wonders.
Allow your sick child to sleep as long as they want, and observe their symptoms.
Communicate with their School
If your child is going to be absent for more than two days, call their teacher and ask what assignments they can accomplish at home. But don’t get unrealistic. Sick days are recovery-oriented. They need just a little reading or a light worksheet to get them in the loop. So, do not force. Some may not feel like it yet. Their well-being comes first.
Fight Germs
Germs can easily spread around the house. Do the following to keep them at bay:
- Wash your hands regularly
- Prompt your child to use an elbow when coughing
- Remind them to use tissues.
- Keep other kids from sharing cups or utensils with their ill sibling
- Wipe all surfaces with disinfectant every day.
Know When to Seek Professional Help
There are times when an illness is not just a simple cold. Follow your gut feelings. You know your child better than anybody. Call your doctor immediately if your child is:
- Having difficulty breathing
- Has fevers that are unusually high and don’t break
- Is experiencing a lot of pain
- Is dehydrated (only passing a few wet diapers or urine of a dark color)
- Is unusually lethargic.
Any intuition that something feels not quite right is a decent reason to make a check-in with a professional.
Conclusion
Your child needs your love the most when they are ill. By setting aside other things, creating a healing haven, addressing their symptoms, and maintaining those personal, small rituals, you bring them more than medicine. You bring them peace. That will help your child regain their health sooner.
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