It’s our turn! 3 of 4 kids are sick with some type of virus that has caused a sore throat, fevers, and now a cough in that seems to be in their chest. This sickness has been going on all week and we have watched our share of movies and recorded TV shows and I am tired of feeling like that is the only activity kids can do while they’re sick. I came up with a list last night to plan for our day today of things we can do to make my sick kids feel special.

1. Listen to upbeat music! We are a conservative family as far as music goes but there is still godly upbeat music you can listen to and fun kids’ songs that can brighten the rather dull feeling of being stuck on the couch. I made a Pandora channel of kids songs and whenever one came up that was a little rockier than I like or allow we just push thumbs down. We have found some of our new favorite kid songs on that channel too, one about bubble gum stuck on the bottom of my shoe, knock-knock jokes, and a song in Spanish-English about what clothes a cowgirl wears. These songs bring a smile to everyone’s face and brings out laughter (which is the best medicine)!

Patch the Pirate is another great option of children’s music, which we listen to on a regular basis, that gets common Bible truths in their minds with great music and lyrics. They have serious and funny songs on each of their albums.

2. Read Stories. We are reading through the Little House series. Yes, the boys are the older ones but I want to get the quality history of the pioneers in their minds before they decide the books are too girly for boys to read. Farmer Boy was their favorite because it was all about Almanzo and the the food that he liked to eat. My boys love food so their little mouths would water as we read it.

Reading when children are sick can be easier because they may not feel like doing much other than sitting on your lap or lying around. They do not get as disinterested as they do when they feel great and have plenty of things they would rather be doing.

If you hate reading aloud then here are some tips to help you:

A. Kids do not care about whether you are a proficient reader or not! Let your hair down so to speak and get over your fears if you have a problem with reading. Children love to hear your voice and spending the time with you. They will often overlook any other stumbles you have because they love you. The more time you invest in reading aloud then the more you will become more comfortable with sharing stories with your children.

B. Use the 4 P’s. Here are 4 tips I learned in one of my teaching children’s classes that I took in Bible College, they are Pitch, Progress, Punch, and Pause.

Pitch – The level of your voice and the voice you use. Monotone is boring! At the climax of the story make your voice rise and create suspense; in a dark setting or if a character is telling a secret then lower your voice to a whisper. Create voices for each character if you are feeling bold enough to do so. Make your cowboy character have a drawl in his voice and your grandma character’s voice shake at times in the story because she is so old. Create a tune to a song that the characters sing together, Winnie the Pooh books are great at implementing little sing-song type songs that you can do this with.

Progress – Progress is the rate of speed in which you read. As you read about a race car going down the track racing the other cars to the finish line use an elevated tone and a fast pace of reading. It will create suspense in the child, you will be able to see them sitting on the edge of their seat with eyes wide open.Be lively when the scenario is lively, act like life is a drudge when the character is bored. Set the scene with how fast or slow you read the words.

Punch – POW! Using the punch of your voice is the pow factor. Interjecting a word with a little bit of force. Speak quietly and slowly through a scary scene of a book and then when the dog jumps from behind the door give your voice a POW of louder pitch to give the reader a startle. Do not over use this voice trick.

Pause – Take a breather and a planned pause. This gives the reader a time to think. Books are naturally broken into pauses using the chapters. Children often ask “Is that the end of the chapter?” When you say that it is then they usually have a strong desire to know what’s going to happen next and urge you to read the next chapter.

Use pauses whenever you feel necessary to address a situation in the book. I will pause and ask questions like, “Are they being kind to each other?” or “Is he being honest when he says that he did not take the candy?” This will ensure your children are listening and learning lessons that apply to their lives.

Using your voice in an interesting way is a lure to bring your children into the story and hooking them into walking through life in a different place and time.

3. Put a puzzle together on a special tray. This would be for the kid who has to stay in bed but has energy to do something, not the exhausted kid who just needs a nap. Put a puzzle out on a tray and let the child do the puzzle on their lap on the couch or in bed. Stay around in case they need help with the pieces.

4. Have a puppet show for them highlighting a Bible verse or manners type lesson. We have animal puppets and I sat behind the couch and did a little lesson using a toucan and a monkey. The toucan had a big beak and was telling the monkey’s secrets. I used the puppets to address when we blab what someone else trusts us with then it may hurt them. Later it encouraged Uno (my oldest son) to want to help me do another puppet show for the other children about hurting others. It made the kids laugh and captivated their attention for a 10-15 minutes. More merry heart = More inner medicine!

5. Take a bath and freshen up. It feels great even for your kiddos to clean up after lying around with snot dripping down their faces. The warm water relaxes them even if they just decide to sit there. Adding bubbles may even encourage them to smile and play a bit and get their mind off of their sore bodies.

Clean clothes can also lift the spirits, this is one of my personal solutions for feeling blah. When you make yourself look nice then your attitude and outlook usually come along and make for a better day, and this applies to your sick kids too.

6. Quote scripture and pray with them. Use every opportunity you have to encourage your children with God’s Word and go to God in prayer. God is our Great Physician and can do what we and doctors cannot do for our children.

Find verses that encourage you in times of sickness and distress. One Bible story in particular speaks of Lazarus that was sick and died (minor illnesses do not warrant death, make sure that you encourage your children to know that they are not dying even though they may feel really bad, no drama in minor cases). Jesus had this to say about his sickness in John 11:4, “When Jesus heard that he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” God uses sickness  for His own purposes. You could probably think of more encouraging verses to go along with illness than I can, so use them!

In prayer, acknowledge to God and your children that He allows these sick times for a reason. Ask God to help strengthen their bodies (ask and it shall be given unto you). Thank Him for special time together and for any improvements seen during their sick days.

My children almost always love to pray with my husband and I, especially when they are  we go to God on their behalf.

May these ideas spark your creativity when it comes to capturing your children’s hearts when they are sick. Make your home a loving haven where they are happy to become well because of your special care and attention. I will be adding Part 2 soon because I had more ideas than I could put on one post! That’s a good problem to have, don’t you think?