How to Keep Kids in Bed When They're Sick

If your sick kid should be lying down but she'd rather trudge around the house in her pajamas, devise a plan to make staying in bed more appetizing than spreading her germs. Create a fun, comfortable environment so she thinks keeping still was her own idea. If you let her watch television, turn it off periodically so she can enjoy deep, restorative sleep.

Instructions

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      Help your kid understand why it̵7;s important for her to stay in bed, so she̵7;ll be internally motivated to stay put. Explain that her body needs all its energy to heal itself, and the longer she stays out of bed, the longer it will take her to get well. If your child is old enough to draw pictures and still young enough to enjoy it, challenge her to imagine a battle between her body and her germs, and sketch it out. That way she̵7;ll have a visual of why staying in bed is important, and she̵7;ll be occupied enough to stay put ̵1; at least for a little while.

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      Provide your child with plenty of entertainment so her bed will be an island of fun. Break out her favorite picture books and coloring books, toys, crayons, markers, games, stickers and dolls ̵1; whatever she needs to enjoy herself. Keep her favorite DVDs and TV shows cued up, so she can relax and watch television when she gets tired of playing.

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      Cuddle your kid, as she likely wants consistent physical contact while she̵7;s on the mend. Hold her, read to her, play games and put together puzzles with her, or just sit back and watch her favorite shows while she relaxes in your arms. Even though you might feel pressed to work on household chores, splitting your attention will only frustrate both of you. If you can̵7;t sit with her the whole time, at least check on her often, and bring her plenty of food and fluids ̵1; otherwise, she̵7;ll get up and find you every time she needs something.

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      Make her bed comfortable. Wash her sheets so they̵7;re cool and crisp, and add plenty of soft blankets and pillows so she can comfortably doze off whenever she likes. Adjust her area for the weather, to maximize her comfort. If the room is dry, place a humidifier nearby. If it̵7;s cold, turn the heat up. If it̵7;s warm, put a fan close by that doesn̵7;t blow directly on her. Set up several ̶0;sick beds̶1; around the house ̵1; one in her bedroom, one on the couch and one on the oversized recliner, for example -- in case your kid refuses to stay in one place, according to WebMD.com.

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