Sick kids - do yours rest??

[Storm Bride]

Our whole family has been fighting bugs since the first week of September. We all had a flu bug (I assume - fevers up over 101 for almost everybody - ds2 hit 103...bad muscle aches, headaches, etc.) in Sept., and have been struggling with a variety of colds ever since. There seem to be some nasty bugs going around, because ds1 (who rarely gets sick, except late in gymnastics season, when he's pushed himself too hard), dd1 (who has been sick maybe 4 times since she was a toddler) and dh (who has been sick - before this Fall - maybe 3 times in the 10 years I've known him) are all down with it again. I'm not getting enough sleep, and am worn to a thread. I have no energy left at all.

So, I really think me and the kids need a couple of days of rest. But...how do you make kids rest? DD1 stayed on the couch for a day, when she had a fever over 101, nausea and muscle pain, but other than that, she just won't. DS2? Forget about it - until it's a really high fever, the worse he feels, the more active he gets. I just can't figure out a way to get them to take it easy. And, if they don't take it easy, I can't take it easy. I'm tired of feeling like crap.

[~PurityLake~]

Perhaps keep it darker and quieter in the house may help keep him more still.

[busymama77]

to you mama as it sounds like you and your family have been through a lot lately!!

Whenever my oldest was younger, he just wanted to lay around and doing nothing - basically lay on me. He's still that way now so we take advantage of watching movies, doing puzzles, reading books - anything that is super low key.

[BetsyS]

Mine are younger (2 and 4), but if they are sick, sometimes, (sometimes) a day of TV works well. It works best if I've limited tv prior to that, so that the TV is a treat. And, it only works well if they are feeling bad, cause if they feel good, the TV gets them riled up and they run around like monkeys while they watch.

But, sometimes the stars align.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

Mine are younger (2 and 4), but if they are sick, sometimes, (sometimes) a day of TV works well. It works best if I've limited tv prior to that, so that the TV is a treat. And, it only works well if they are feeling bad, cause if they feel good, the TV gets them riled up and they run around like monkeys while they watch.

I've tried that a couple of times, but it only works for a while. Unfortunately, because we've all been feeling so tired and cruddy, they've watched more tv (well, mostly DVDs) than usual over the last couple of months. I think think it's losing its power.

But, sometimes the stars align.

Crossing my fingers. I really want a quiet day tomorrow. Unfortunately, at this point, the middle two (7 and 5) are the healthiest ones in the house. I think dh and ds1 may be home from work and school, respectively, tomorrow.

[One_Girl]

If they are on any medicine for the fevers I would suggest taking them off. If they are really active right now their body may be ready to start fighting the illness of without the medicine to keep it at a manageable level. I do this with dd to see if she is still truly sick and assess whether she really needs to stay home much longer. Movies rarely lose their thrill for dd, though she does get restless sometimes. I try to break up her movie watching with card games, board games, reading books, and listening to books on cd. If I am sick I do these things when I have energy then let her watch a movie afterwards.

When I am really sick and need rest I tend to put my foot down and tell her she just needs to entertain herself with her toys or books while I nap. I have usually reached the end of my rope at that point, am in that so sleepy and sick I am grumpy place, and I my dd can tell that I am not messing around. I shut my door so it isn't a choice and she whines about it being boring for a while then finds something to do. I don't think it damages kids when they absolutely have to find some way to entertain themselves without their mom once in a blue moon when mom gets sick. If your kids are well enough to be antsy, especially if you have another adult or someone capable of running the dvd or tv, I think you should give them the choices of what they can do and going into your bed to rest and letting them deal with their own boredom. If they are well enough to be bored they are well enough to find a solution.

[Storm Bride]

They're not on anything. The fevers were last month. Now, it's more that the rest of us (dh, me, ds1 and dd2) are all sick and I can tell dd1 and ds2 aren't feeling well (unusually cranky, argumentative, more meltdowns than usual, etc.), and we've had just one thing after another (ds2 seems symptom free today, but had a cough yesterday, for instance). I know if they don't rest, it's going to take them a long time to bounce back. I just haven't ever found a way to get them to rest, unless they have a high fever.

There may be another adult around tomorrow (depends if dh and/or ds1 stay home), but if so, that adult will probably be as sick as me, if not worse. Leving the kids to deal with their own boredom doesn't work at all. They make an immense mess.

I've been in that "so sleepy and sick I am grumpy" place for weeks. The kids barely even pay attention to it, anymore.

This has just sucked. I hope all these bugs just go away - soon.

[Learning_Mum]

I would up the amount of fruit and veggies they are having so that they can get more vit C into them maybe even give them heaps of juice for the next few days and make sure everyone is in bed early (even if they aren't sleeping)

Last month I was sick about three times in one month. It sucked. I just started feeling better and literally two days later I started feeling a cold come on! I think I've FINALLY kicked it. At least none of us have been sick for a couple of weeks!

This winter for us was horrid. Literally every month we'd get sick. So many colds! I'm looking forward to summer coming so we can all have a break from being sick!

[VisionaryMom]

I have had some luck with lying in my bed with DC reading aloud as they will listen to me read for quite some time. Other than that, though, I've never had great luck at getting them to rest, even when they're really sick.

[cappuccinosmom]

Mine don't generally unless they're really ill. And then it'll be one day, max, of quietness. I actually get worried when they do it, because it's so rare. It's really stunningly different when my three year old is sick enough to lie down most of the day.

We do, however, have a mandatory "quiet time" daily, sick or not. So they are used to winding down for that one hour anyway, and that probably gives them some extra rest if they're not feelign so well.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by VisionaryMom

I have had some luck with lying in my bed with DC reading aloud as they will listen to me read for quite some time. Other than that, though, I've never had great luck at getting them to rest, even when they're really sick.

This would/does work with dd1, but it doesn't work with ds2. He'll listen to me read for about two pages, max - and that's two pages of a really simple book, so only a couple of minutes of reading time. DD1 will listen to me read for an hour, if I can fit it in. (Right now, I have too sore a throat to read out loud for long, if at all.)

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom

Mine don't generally unless they're really ill. And then it'll be one day, max, of quietness. I actually get worried when they do it, because it's so rare. It's really stunningly different when my three year old is sick enough to lie down most of the day.

That sounds like mine.

We do, however, have a mandatory "quiet time" daily, sick or not. So they are used to winding down for that one hour anyway, and that probably gives them some extra rest if they're not feelign so well.

I need to work on quiet time again. I've tried to implement it a few times, and it doesn't tend to go well (dd1 is again okay - she'll just colour or something, but ds2 is another story), and I eventually just give up. I need to make it a higher priority.

[puffingirl]

We are in the same sick boat as you. DD has watched more TV than I'd like but it's honestly the only thing that keeps us all still. We also have done books on CD, which is good for a while, and a lot of easy art. She'll sit at the table for up to an hour if she has some art stuff. I hope you all feel better soon--I know how miserable it is to be on the constant merry-go-round of illness.

[Storm Bride]

Now, we're in the really awful stage. The kids are back to normal. I feel like death warmed over. I think it may be time to break out the tv again...

[Honey693]

Have you tried putting a bunch of books and toys in your room and letting the kids play in there while you rest in bed? Our bedroom is fairly child proofed since we cosleep and that was what I did the first week postpartum with DD2. I even kept a few snacks in there so I didn't have to walk to teh kitchen if I didn't want to.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Honey693

Have you tried putting a bunch of books and toys in your room and letting the kids play in there while you rest in bed? Our bedroom is fairly child proofed since we cosleep and that was what I did the first week postpartum with DD2. I even kept a few snacks in there so I didn't have to walk to teh kitchen if I didn't want to.

Our bedroom is actually not that childproofed - it has a lot of books in it, and dd2 will tear them apart.

I can't reasonably lie down when I'm sick. DS2 jumps all over me, and now dd2 does, too. I'm better off just sitting up most of the time.

They haven't been too bad today, though...I just don't have the oomph to deal with their sibling squabbles.

[One_Girl]

Have you been into the doctor to see if there is something else going on that is making you so run down for so long? My mother was very tired and sick a lot this last year despite being very healthy and rarely sick most of her life and when she finally went in they did blood work and found out she had a vitamin d deficiency and her iron is close to being too low. It may be that something else is going on besides a cold. It may be that your kids have allergies now and not a cold, where we are the allergy count is really bad and has triggered me and my dd even though neither of us has allergies typically (this is my dd's second year in her life having them and the last time was when she was 2).

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

Have you been into the doctor to see if there is something else going on that is making you so run down for so long? My mother was very tired and sick a lot this last year despite being very healthy and rarely sick most of her life and when she finally went in they did blood work and found out she had a vitamin d deficiency and her iron is close to being too low. It may be that something else is going on besides a cold. It may be that your kids have allergies now and not a cold, where we are the allergy count is really bad and has triggered me and my dd even though neither of us has allergies typically (this is my dd's second year in her life having them and the last time was when she was 2).

The doctor has checked my iron and thyroid. They were both okay. There may be emotional/psychological issues (suspect I've got some mild depression, for instance, but it's hard to say for sure - I don't really notice depression until it gets severe). I'm not getting enough sleep yet, as dd2 isn't a great sleeper. I'm not going back for any more tests.

I'm pretty sure these are actual cold (or whatever) bugs, though. The symptoms have been varied, and are flaring up/settling down with no relation to pollen counts or anything. We also have no family history of allergies at all, except for my FIL and my mom's reaction to some metals. There are just some bad bugs going around. This latest one is all about the throat/cough. Blech.