Entertaining my sick babies - Things to keep them busy but rested

It's that season of the year. There are colds and coughs and fevers. Its all around and as you pray and hope that it does not enter you house, it does! Being sick is one thing, having a sick baby at home is another. And then the cooties spread from one munchkin to the other one and it seems like the only thing you are doing is scampering for the tissue box and making hot soups.
We had one such season a few months ago and the hardest part of this time is to keep the kids rested and yet entertained. Its one of those seasons when you need to start thinking outside the box for ways and means to keep the children occupied. A a mother I am learning to experiment on the roles of various indoor activities that can be put into good use. While a day could go along with regular games and toys, when the cold and fever continues on to Day 2, we mommies must start getting creative.

Little bookworms: I know it sounds simple. And simple enough it is. Sick days are a good time to pick up a huge stack of books from the library and sift through them. Reading is an all time favorite in our house. I usually rotate my stack of books so that in desperate time such as these I pull out old books that suddenly seem exciting. Benefits of reading: The kids sit still for a few moments. Even a few moments such as these add to the process of healing which their tiny little bodies need.

An artistic twist: While I am really not in favor of using water as I do believe that the kids end up playing with the water more than anything else, still I believe painting is the most relaxing thing ever! Most moms like handing over crayons and color pencil to ease up the cleaning procedure. I however believe painting is the 'no pressure' name of the game!  The holding of the brush, the ease at which the colors fill the paper and the joy of mixing up colors makes for very playful moments. Especially when your little munchkins are sick, you should really try this form of art. Usually, I too sit down with them with a piece of paper and the colors. A complete de-stresser even for us mamas!

Playing around with Play-doh: Making and playing with play-doh can be a very entertaining and very engaging form of play. The making part involves a lot of effort but the kids love mixing the colors and watching the dough form. Once the dough it ready, it makes for several hours of quiet play time. A relaxing and calming down activity with plenty of brain stimulation! My munchkins love the mixing and the rolling and forming of all kinds of shapes and structures. And I love that I can get them to sit still for a few hours while the medicines and warm fluids do their magic.

Hot soups and warm breads: Sick season is also the time for plenty of soups. Thankfully both the little ones love soups.  Usually I would not let anyone with the colds and sniffles into the kitchen. However desperate times call for desperate measures and one good way of getting the munchkins focus off their aching bodies is getting them to help our in making their own soups and breads. So the munchkins get to watch the dough for bread being mixed, they get to work on their own shapes of bread. Involving the kids in the cooking process also helps the appetite increase at a time when food consumption does become a challenge.

A few soothing tunes: Music works like magic! It is true and few soothing tones are good to help the little ones fall of to sleep. A little music and a little swaying around also helps the bonding between mommy and baby which is very essential during those fevers and chills. Body contact is essential for the healing of our little ones body and music just adds a little masala to this beautiful process. So turn on those comforting notes and help your munchkin relax.

Getting clever: I am not a big fan of leaving the TV on especially when the Z and I are sick. I feel the blinking light from the TV does more harm then benefit. I try to avoid animated series as they are more flashy. But I have stack full of National geographic videos with calm scenery or whales jumping over water. I find these very soothing and the kids love watching the animals. On sick days this is my back up especially if I start to feel the body ache and runny nose entering my immune system as well.


While I totally dislikes the flu and cold season, I know that is a great part of growing up. In being restful our children learn to react to their bodies. They learn to listen to their bodies. They learn to entertain themselves through calm and quiet activities.

Why I write?

I always wondered how I started writing my blog. What caused me to start? More importantly why I never did it for the first 32 years of my life! And then suddenly it all came flowing out ... the humor ... the sarcasm ... the stories...TMI

A friend recently started blogging and she said she was inspired by my blogs. Definitely a feather on my hat. And while I was sitting in seventh heaven enjoying those moments of glory, I read her blog. She had poured out her heart into the lines of that first blog.

I realised what it was that had caused me to start blogging. Healing!
While many may enjoy talking to folks as a method of healing and others may go to a counselor and still other immerse themselves into work, I realized my blogs were self-healing for me. The moment I wrote it out and read it ... there was a sense of --- it's complete.
I dont even know if this makes sense. Who would think publicly telling/writing family stories would help anyone.  And while I tell my tales, I speak the truth with a twist of humor and fun ... making everything sound light. At least that is what I attempt to do.
Talking about tales and stories, a recent workshop with 'Kathalaya - Academy of storytelling' also revealed to me how storytelling was a great form of healing.

It was then that I realised why I write. Talking about me, sharing my challenges, boasting about my success over this interface where I never really see my reader or their expression gives me an intimacy with this blank paper and none with the actual person on the other end. And yet when people read, like and comment on my blogs it feels like a burden is lifted off.  Sometimes I look at the stats on Blogspot and realize that someone in Russia is reading. I really do not have any friends or acquaintances in Russia and the sense of anonymity of my reader adds in a twist of mystery. When I see that my blog about parenting has been clicked on I wonder what that other mother/father is feeling that they decided to click on my vague blog. I wonder whether they too have experienced the same kind of things. And then I realize what people mean when they say ... 'Everyone goes through it!' I do not like that statement by the way 'Everyone goes through it.!' No! my challenges, my problems and my feelings are only mine ... no one else goes through it. And my problems are the biggest because they are mine.

When you tell someone that their problems/success are also felt by others, you underestimate the level of sorrow/ joy they feel.  Whenever I have heard that I feel like ... am I overreacting to something that all feel. I feel judged and that's another reason I write... this blank white piece of screen that looks at my face ... never tells me to stop writing. It never tells me that the whole world had already read what I am about to write.

And that's why I write.