The last week in my house has been crazy, we have had high temps, vomiting, coughs and cold and god knows what else. So as you can image some of us have been getting very little sleep.
So here are my tips for getting though illness with your little ones.
Do I stick to routine?
Some children need extra sleep when they are unwell. It helps their body repair and recover. During times of illness with your little one I recommend you follow their lead. This may include extra-long naps or early bed times.
Can I rock them to sleep?
When children are sick they often need extra cuddles and some help in the sleep department. Many children will fall asleep when having a cuddle or need that extra support. That is okay.
Does teething count?
Teething does count as an illness if it is bad. If they are teething t can cause discomfort, pain and high temps.
Often if a child’s teeth aren’t bothering them during the day it wont be bothering them during the night.
How do I get back to routine when they are well?
Once they are well go straight back into routine. If they have become use to having help go to sleep they may be upset as they go back to self settling. It shouldn’t take long and they will be back to great sleep.
What if I am implementing a new routine?
If you are sleeping training and your child becomes unwell it is best to pause it. Then start again when they are feeling better.
So this week with miss 2 we went back to her normal routine once she was feeling better and well wasn’t t that fun. We had a really tough night. She was very use to all the extra cuddles and help going to sleep that she wanted to continue it……opps. So I had one very hard night with her with lots of tears from everyone her, me, one of my other children. After our tough night she went back her normal routine. I would like to say that’s it we will never do that again but if she is sick and needs extra support I will offer it. Then again once she is well I will go back to routine.
Fingers crossed everyone is illness free for a while and we can all get some sleep.