TAKING CARE OF YOUR SICK CHILD

Is your child sick? Does he whine and complain about his pain? Does he create problem when taking his pill or drinking his syrup? Does he eat his food properly? Well, the answer will be 'NO'. Only a parent knows how difficult it can be to care for a sick child. You can make things easier for your child as well as yourself if you learn to be not only an understanding nursemaid and comforter but be a constant entertainer. You have to find creative ways to keep the child occupied in bed to speed up their recovery and also help them ease their pain. If they are busy they are more likely not to whine and complain about their aches and pains and the time will go by faster for you and your sick child.

Following are a few tips for you that will help you keep your child busy and keep him entertained:

• Surprise your sick child at home with helium balloons.

• If your child is young, then you can play doctor with him. Kids love to play doctor. Provide them with Band-Aids, stethoscope, dolls for patients, empty pill bottles, play syringes, etc.

• Teach them some secret code letters. For example: if you write words backwards and give the child a mirror to read the words with it will be fun for them to read the secret messages written to them. Your child might have fun writing letter like this to their friends or grandparents too.

• Kids love to open presents and the anticipation is often more fun that the gift itself. Wrap several small toys in brightly colored paper. Either you can buy new toys or even choose toys, which your child has not used for a long time.

• Write secret notes to your child with invisible ink. Take a paper and write back and forth with toothpick dipped in lemon juice. Take the shade off their bedside lamp so that they can use their warm light bulb to decipher the message.

• Give your child a get-well-soon card. Make all his class friends and other friends sign the card and fix it on his study table.

Taking medicine
Giving medicine to your sick child is a tough job. If your child is having a hard time taking their pills then you can use some trick to make them take their medicine without letting them realize it. If it is a pill you can hide them in pudding or desserts. For liquid medicines try adding it to juice or milk.

Taking Food
Making your sick child eat is more difficult than giving him medicine. Without a healthy appetite getting kids to eat can be tough. So what you can do is feed them something different and tasty and present it in attractive things. Try serving a variety of finger foods or feed them with unique kitchen utensils like a pie server or salad tongs. Act as a waitress and write a menu for your child and take his order.