Make sure a sick child has plenty of entertaining books and tapes to enjoy while in bed with an illness.
Family expert Dr. Bra Vada Garrett-Akinsanya shares some creative tips on how to care for a sick family.
Use an adjustable ironing board as a table so a sick child can eat in bed. Use the front end of the ironing board as a table by adjusting it to the level of the bed.
Give a child a whistle in case they need attention while a parent works in another part of the house.
Some things that are good to keep on hand to ease a child's boredom while he or she is ill are books including comic books, coloring books and books on tape. Puppets, stickers, a deck of cards, handheld video games, pencils, crayons and construction paper are all also good diversions.
Give the child a lot of rest and comfort. Things that make a difference to an ill child or adult include a change of sheets, a cool sponge for their forehead if they have a fever and lots of attention.
Sometimes children like it when they are allowed to rest in the parents' bedroom. It's a special treat and a novelty to them.
If you are unable to care for a sick child, make arrangements with another adult caregiver to provide attention, or ask relatives or friend if they can help out. Make sure that it is someone familiar to the child.
If an older child is home alone while he or she is ill, it is still important that someone call home every few hours to check up on them. Also let them know how to contact parents during the day.
For convenience, have backup comfort food such as soup stored in the freezer. If the rest of the family doesn't know how to cook, lay in some backup food for them.
Have a chart or calendar to record when antibiotics or medication should be taken. Cross off items once the medication has been taken so that both parents and children don't forget to take their medicine, and to make sure they don't take it twice.
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