#24 Remember Your Pot of Gold

While you may not be of Irish descent, you do have a "pot of gold" - we all do.

Take a few minutes today to really take stock of all that you have. Perhaps jot down a gratitude list for one minute. You will be surprised how long that list is. Make this day an opportunity to teach your children about gratitude as well.  Have them draw a big pot with a rainbow extending to one end of it.  On the pot have them write down or draw pictures of things that are meaningful. A collage is a great way to express this too.

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, begin or close your day with a prayer. Here is a traditional Irish Prayer you may wish to use:

An Irish Prayer
 

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

 

For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way – Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.


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#16 Stuck at Home Sick Tips

When You are all Sickies and stuck at home!

When you and your young children are all sick and stuck at home it can feel like each hour stretches on endlessly - you wiped out and yearning to "sneak" even a two minute lie down, and they, cranky, coughing and getting bored with being inside.  So......what is a Mom to do and not to do?

Here are a few ideas: 

• Do not get out the play dough recipe.  Making Play dough and runny, snotty noses are not a good match, while this might be a no-brainer, I was tempted by the "time factor" to get out the play dough recipe and give it a go.  That is until I saw my son take his hand and swipe it across his runny nose then wipe it all over his sleeve!
• Make smoothies - great for nutrition and fun for the kids to pick out the fruit (wash well).  Our favourite smoothie is made of frozen strawberries, frozen spinach, bananas, yogurt and milk.  The fun part for my kids is taking turns pressing the button to make it WHRRRRRRR.
• My all time standby is taking a whiff of my Vicks Vapour stick - useful and comforting with no sticky mess.
• Bath play time for your little one, no matter what time of day.  My favourite "sickie" bath scent is Life Brand's Hypoallergneic Vapour Bath with eucalptus, menthol, and rosemary.  Run bath, toss in a bunch of bath toys (Infantion Bath Tub Pals are great!) and a bath book, then sit back and watch your little one play away while getting clean and loosening their congestion (and yours too!).  While you are immersed in that steamy bath air imagine that you are really in a tropical paradise.
• Sleep.  Pretty basic tip, isn't it?  But one we Moms have trouble following!  When you finally get your little one(s) in bed, be it nap time or night time, do not, and I repeat - do not, feel compelled to use this time as "me time", or time for any other tasks.  The greatest task at hand for you is getting healthy again, and this means SLEEP!
• Your little one's attention span is going to be even shorter when he or she is not feeling well, so make sure you have some creative ideas on hand and interchange them frequently.  A few ideas:  Simon Says, playing "School" complete with paper and crayons, a favourite cartoon, building towers with cardboard boxes and then knocking them down, reading a book, practicing animal sounds, building a fort with a blanket or chair, or erecting an indoor popup tent and tunnel, have a summer picnic on the living room floor complete with picnic blanket and snacks.   The bottom line: just remember to go with the flow, mix it up, and make sure to include some physical activity (while monitoring your young one's sickieness)!
• Drag yourself to the shower soon after waking up.  I know, this can be so hard when you are so terribly tired and feel out of sorts.  It is easy to put it off, but don't - a shower will get all the bacteria off, and the hot water will refresh you.  Make it a short one if you must (with wee ones we don't often have a choice!). Here is a tip:  Alternate four times of approx. 30 seconds each between hot and cold water - it is very reviving and gets your circulation going.  This is the same premis behind the cold dunk pools at many hot springs resorts.
• Keep warm.  Allow yourself to cozy up in your PJs or favourite sweatpants and puffy sweater - all day!  Often when we are sick we are chilled easily.  The key here is to keep yourself comfortable.
• Nourish yourself. Have lots of soup on hand if your appetite is diminshed or your throat is simply too soar to eat.  DO NOT eat tomato soup if the latter, its acidity may irrate your throat.  I especially love butternut squash, chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, or sweet potatoe soup when I'm not feeling well, and the kids love these soups too especially if I throw in a few "wormies" (egg noodles).

Do you have any suggestions for when you and your little ones are sick? 



Image courtesy of  David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net