Those of you who don't watch TV...

[Dragonfly]

What do you do when your child is sick?

Ds is 3, doesn't like to entertain himself *at all* (though he's getting a little better) and is sick, so we can't go running around. We've been off of TV for awhile... but I just don't have it in me to give him undivided attention for the entire day and evening and am thinking about lifting the TV sanction. If anyone has ideas, please share!

[mirthfulmum]

I totally understand where you're comming from. Caring for a sick child is such a demanding job. Last month DS had a really tenacious virus that moved around his body (from the croup to a horrible ear infection) for 2 and a half weeks before we decided to just give DS a helping hand a give him antibiotics c. You do need to find a way to give yourself a break once and awhile so you dont burn yourself out.
We don't have TV either but we do have a DVD player. So when DS is sick he enjoys lying on the couch and watching his favourite movies (can anyone say "NEMO!!!"). It gives me a bit a of a break. And I don't know why but he actually sleeps less restlessly when the movie is running.

[Tigerchild]

Hmmm...

Do you think he would like story tapes, the kind where there's a chime to tell him when to turn the page of the accompanying book?

Now...those aren't very long, but if you were to build up a collection (or make your own using his favorite books!) then give him a basket of one and his very own tape recorder (we have a Fisher Price one that I got at a garage sale)....then he could listen to music tapes too. (The great thing about tapes is you can get them for dirt cheap at secondhand stores!) Some tape players (like the F-P one I mentioned) have a microphone where he could sing along with the songs or record himself, if he's into that kind of thing.

[babybugmama]

Okay, I was sick not too long ago and what I did was set up a pallet (sp?) on the floor for myself. I made it nice and cosy and then surrounded dd with all of her toys. She took turns playing with the toys and then would come over to me and snuggle for a little bit then back to her toys. We read lots of books too.

I wasn't like near death sick though. It was a bad head cold, but not vomiting or anything like that.

[thistle]

DD and I BOTH got sick within DAYS of retiring the TV to the garage. Mostly we just read lots of books. If I was feeling really bad, we would go into her room (her toys' room, more accurately) and I would lay on the mattress while she played. She is getting much better at playing by herself, especially if I am in the room and doing something boring.

We dont do dvds or videos either (well, SHE doesn't), I still occaionally sneak into the garage.

thistle

[ja mama]

music, books on tape, sitting on a beanbag with a blanket near a window... We have a neighborhood street out the front and bird and squirrel feeders out the back. Lots of snuggling, building with blocks, duplo's, or lego's, playdoh that gets to be left out and dry in whatever shapes we leave it (so I can throw it away and not worry about remaining germs), put up a tent and camp out in the living room.

[BusyMommy]

:LOL Break the rules; ie. watch videos.

Usually, though, I just lay in bed w/them and I read a book while they veg. Depending on how crummy they feel, they read books, too.

[sarasprings]

We have two baby einstein videos for illnesses. We watched them each once this winter. I find that 15 minutes of down time helps us both. I do find, though, that I spend more time with him. We spend more time hanging out in bed reading. I like the idea of putting a mattress on the floor in our family room and hanging out there for a hunk of the day.