How to Stay Sane When You Are All Sick

Being stuck at home with the kids can drive us all crazy. In the winter when the weather is bad, we often have to force ourselves to go out even for a few hours just to stop cabin fever setting in. Even a walk around the shops is often preferable to sitting at home with the kids, without plans.

But, what about when you are sick? Often, families get sick together. The kids pick up bugs from school or nursery, bring them home and pass them around everyone else. It’s not uncommon for families to share viruses and pass things back and forth between each other. It’s not unusual to find that all members of a family get the same virus within a few days of each other, or even that they give it back to each other as they are starting to recover.

If your family is struck down with a contagious disease, you could find yourself essentially trapped at home for days or even weeks. Too ill to do much and stuck inside even when you do start to feel better, to protect everyone that you usually come into contact with from the same fate. Here are some tips to help you stay sane if you find your whole family quarantined at home.

Call the Doctor

If you are all ill, a trip to the doctor’s office might seem like the worst thing ever. If you are contagious, you are best staying away anyway, to avoid putting any high-risk patients at risk. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get help and advice from a medical professional. Use an online pediatric doctor for a diagnosis and treatment options. Even if you know what’s wrong, they might be able to help you recover and get back out into the world faster.

Get Online

Most modern parents spend a significant amount of their time trying to get their kids offline, trying to enforce real-world activities and conversations and trying to get their kids outside more. We worry about the effects of social media and mobile phone addictions and do all we can to restrict their usage.

But, when you are stuck at home, the internet is very much your friend. Use it to talk to the doctor, but also to order shopping, treats and takeaways. To stream movies and to download new games. Go online to keep in touch with work or the kid’s schools and to keep up to date with news. Being at home used to mean being cut off, it doesn’t have to today.

Have Fun

Illness is an excuse to let things slide a little. Forget work and chores, relax the rules and let your routines slip a little. How much is up to you, but when you are ill it’s important that you rest and relax and that you do things that make you feel better. Have treats, play games, get crafting, watch films and enjoy pajama days. Do what it takes to make you happy and don’t sweat the small stuff.