How to Win the Battle of the Sick Day with Kids

Ahhh, yes, the Sick Day. We meet again. 

We can’t plan for it and we can’t fight it. The best thing that we can do is prepare our environment when it arrives. Preparation will likely be necessary in many areas, so I’ll give you some tools for all of them below. The Sick Day may have shown up for battle, but you will win! Here’s how:

• Sick Day Weapon #1: Read your Bible 

Spiritual Preparation

Parenting is hard even on a Well Day, so the patience and the peace are even thinner on a Sick Day. You’re going to need an extra dose of Jesus. Grab your Bible and read Matthew 9 and Luke 17 to see how Jesus handled being interrupted by sickness. He had the cure and he healed with grace and mercy. Read and follow Jesus’ example of how to respond to a sick, demanding child. You’ll find that you are encouraged and equipped for the challenges that are ahead when you seek the Fruit of the Spirit. Way to go!

• Sick Day Weapon #2: Re-arrange your schedule

Mental preparation

Call off the meeting, cancel the dinner with friends, move up the naptime, order grocery delivery etc. Even if the sickness “isn’t that bad,” a Sick Day demands more mentally from you. Changing your schedule prioritizes healing the sickness AND creates space for you. Plus, if the illness worsens, you will have already made arrangements. High five!

• Sick Day Weapon #3: Plan some low-key activities

Physical preparation

Depending on the age of your child and the condition of the illness, there may be some room for activities. Benefits of activities include mental stimulation, adding in some fun, one-on-one time, and more. 

Try these 6 low-key ideas:

1. Coloring: Any coloring book will do, or even a blank piece of paper. Draw a shape or picture first and let your child color it in. 

2. Painting: Do this on printer paper, newspaper, or even on a face! 

3. Playing cards

4. Puzzles

5. Bath games: Play with shaving cream on the wall or spell with some styrofoam letters. 

6. Sink games: Fill up the (clean) sink with water and bubbles and drop in small toys as if the sink is a pool.

Remember, an activity may only last a few minutes with a sick child. Count that as a win, though, because anything more than the TV started with proactive effort from you. Nice job!

Sick Days are a bummer not only for the sick one, but also for the person who is caring for the sick. It is not a lost cause though – because we have control of how we handle Sick Days. We can make the most out of a not-so-fun situation. And dare I say it – we can even make some memories on a Sick Day that we wouldn’t have otherwise made. So, take these weapons and conquer The Battle of The Sick Day! You can do it.