Taming the Boredom Monster
I fully admit that I am a mess when I’m sick. I don’t get a lot of practice, so I’ve never quite figured out how to quietly rest without making everyone around me miserable. There is whining and complaining I generally just feel the need to bring everyone down to my level of pitifulness.
Alexis is, in many ways, my clone. She doesn’t get sick often and when she does? LOOK OUT. The whining flies around all over the room as she tries to continue on with life just like normal and discovers that it’s not possible. She doesn’t figure out that she should just sit her butt down on the couch and relax. She wants to GO! GO! GO!
That means it’s up to me to find a way to occupy her mentally while keeping her calm physically. If I play my cards right, I can keep the Boredom Monster at bay while getting snuggled for hours. Which, sitting on the couch getting snuggled by a little girl? Not a bad way to spend a day! AT ALL!
The last time I wrote a post for Children's Mucinex, I asked y’all what you do to keep your sickies entertained. Y’all came up with some great ideas including:
- Keeping a stash of coloring books and a new box of crayons just for those sick days.
- Television! Someone mentioned that they pull up some of the classic cartoons from when we were kids. Which, GENIUS.
- Throw out the rules. No limits on TV watching, snacking on the couch is A-OK, and if a kid wants to eat nothing but crackers all day? So be it.
I’m 100% on board with all of those things, but I have one more that I do. Every year Alexis gets entirely too many things for her birthday. Instead of allowing all of those things to go immediately into the toy rotation (where they will get played with for 10 minutes and then ignored), I snag a bunch of them and put them way up on the top shelf of our pantry. Then, when Alexis is sick and needs something to keep her busy, I pull one or two of the toys down. I try to make sure there is a stash of artsy crafty things included in with those toys because something as simple as decorating a teddy bear can keep her happy and mostly still for hours on end.
Seriously. Hours. The kid spent hours decorating that teddy bear the last time she was sick. A couple of Mucinex tamed her symptoms and the bear kept her chillaxed and distracted.
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I’m working with Mucinex and BlogHer on a series of posts about minimizing the miserable when Alexis is sick. Next up, I’m going to tell you about our favorite WOAH IS ME I’M SICK food. But first, what about you? Do you have any go-to menu items that you pull out for sick days? Leave a comment telling what activity makes your child smile when they are under the weather you’ll be entered to win a $100 CVS gift card.
The rules!
No duplicate comments.
You may receive 1 total entry by leaving a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/6/2013 – 3/31/2013
Be sure to visit the Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Reader Comments (135)
usuallly chicken noodle soup
I was the first in my family to get a college education, and I am so glad I did. I was formerly a spec. ed. teacher and now a school psychologist. Without higher education, I would not have the opportunity to work at a job I love. I get to inspire kids everyday. Life is good.
seanm 1999 at hotmail dot com
WOw that is just such a cute idea.. love it. we normally watch tv, eat soup and drink clear liquids.
Depending on the illness it is either chicken soup or ginger ale and crackers.
We like eating light soups when we're not feeling well... and for an activity,
the favorite is reading. Katharina angelsandmusic[at]gmail[dot]com
my nephew love read book when he is sick
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/318023445319413760
in our house netflix always offers great shows to make kids smile
cupcakes
I like to shop at the dollar store for small things that make kids happy. Surprises make life fun.
Thanks for the contest.
I love to make shepherd's pie, it's a great comfort food and can be made very mild so it doesn't upset the tummy. My boys like to lounge and watch movies when they are sick
Thanks
We like ice cream when we're sick.
My son loves to work on his puzzles.
We have ice cream as a treat!
She likes to be read to
Warm chicken soup makes my kids smile when they are sick.
I like a nice bowl of soup, any soup!
Reading nad coloring
watching TV in bed, & Coloring or sticker books!
My kids like to eat popsicles and watch movies.
When my kids are sick, it's baskin robbins ice cream and some sprite. It always makes them feel better.
I have a reallly good soup recipe that my grandmother makes! So thats my go to !
When they were little, usually just some extra cuddling and being read to would make them smile at least a little.
My daughter likes to watch her favorite movie.
cuddling up on the couch with a good book
Favorite treats, toys and movies.
HAVE to have tropicana (no other brand) no pulp orange juice!
The menu is bland but still good: crackers, ginger ale, chicken soup. The activities are drawing, watching TV, napping. :-)
Cuddling, watching movies and having ice cream :)
I would make a " nest " on the sofa and watch our favorite movies.
My daughter enjoys watching tv when sick
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
watching movies and peanut butter and marshmallows sandwiches.
pokergrl8 at gmail.com
my kids love to watch videos when they are under the weather! Thanks for a super giveaway!
ice cream and disney movies
rounder9834 @yahoo.com
Watching funny movies makes my kid smile when he's under the weather.