Most people change scenery many times in a day. We go in and out of the car or bus, into different offices at work into different classrooms at school. When a child is home sick for a long period of time, he/she often spends most of the time in one or two rooms which can be boring. Here’s one way to change it up a bit.
Change locations – Perhaps your child stays in her room and watches TV in the morning. Then he goes to the den, put his feet up and does some schoolwork. Later he can be in a sunny place for lunch and maybe hang out in a sibling’s room for a couple of games of cards or a game of Trouble.
Plan a movie night – Make it special in a different room, with snacks. Stay out of the room until movie time if you can and leave when it’s over. Make it feel special. Younger kids may want to make tickets, play money, and even sell snacks for pretend or Monopoly money. We used to have plastic cups that looked like the bags that movie popcorn comes in for movie nights.
Build a fort – Your child can build it or watch you build it and then rest in it with a book, a friend, or a beloved pet. This can be a fun way for your child to interact with a friend they don’t get to see because they are not going to school.
Camp in your backyard – We personally would not do this, but you may like it 🙂 Your child can rest and have an adventure at the same time.
Get Creative – Are their friends or relatives houses where your child can rest and still enjoy a change of scenery? If it’s not too much, this could be great for your child and can give you time to run an errand or grab a cup of coffee with a friend.
Use your creativity, resourcefulness and let your child do the same if it’s age appropriate. There are some things we can’t control, but often controlling the little things can help improve someone’s day.