Three Activities for A Homebound Child

All parents dread those days when the kids are unwell. Kids are cranky, they get fussy about food, the wait at the doctor’s clinic, keeping an eye on the siblings if any (especially harder when they are younger), lack of sleep, a shortage ‘me’ time to catch up with work, house work piling up – the list is endless and the frustrations can be many.

teddy is sick by kinjeng submiter

Added to this is the worry about the child. Is he going to be well? Is he eating enough? Hydrated? Why is he so tired? Is he missing something important at school? Has the doctor diagnosed it right? Is the fever different this time? Could it be something else? Parenting is all about finding the right balance and to learn from experience. The trick to parenting is to keep calm and work through every situation. If your child’s illness has made you short of sleep, find a way to make up for the shortage. If your kid does not need monitoring all the time, find something to keep him busy while you grab forty winks. It’s crucial to get some sleep and be functional. So, here are three activities to keep your child busy, while you grab a nap. Remember, he’s unwell, so the activities cannot be very demanding. Go on, see which one works for you:

1. Build a toy

This might sound hard, but some toys are easy to build and kids just love spending time on them. It could be paper planes, climbing toys, noise making toys, plain geometric constructs, origami animals etc. Building things with their hands has a charm of its own. Kids take pride in the things they have built. This puts them on the path of trying to build better toys. All this gives the kids perspective on making things, which they would never get by just talking about things they want to build.

2. Suggest a creative activity which requires time

If your child likes drawing, they could make their own comic book. This lets them explore art, writing and layout. It could be something they do over many days. They might need help with sourcing materials, but other than that kids can work independently. Alternatively, they could build things or explore hobbies. Youtube videos help kids learn on their own.

3. Play some digital games

This is a shortcut most parents resort to occasionally. As long as kids don’t make this a habit, its okay to use online games to keep kids occupied. Not all kids get addicted. In fact most kids enjoy playing outside with friends. An occasional MMORPG game while sick could be a good way to spend time with friends.

Sometimes your child’s friends can be invited over to play a board game. It’s nice to have fun the old fashioned way. Offer them something to eat or drink. Get to bed and grab yourself a goof nap. If you have a relative who can stay over, take their help. There’s no shame, and this favour can always be returned in some form. Being alert and functional is crucial when you have to look after an unwell child.