Parenting while ill

[MamanSparkles]

Help wise mumsnetters! I am completely alone with a toddler DD, no family anywhere nearby and I've come down with a fluey cold. I ache all over, I'm dizzy, nauseous and it hurts to breathe. She is full of energy.
Help me survive the next couple of days!

A few days of letting her play with toys, watching as much tv as she wants and eating snack food l/beige freezer food will not harm her...... then you can try and rest as much as poss.

Put her in the bath this morning to play while you sit on the bathroom floor wrapped in a blanket.

TV, snacks and get hold of some day nurse for you - there is no substitute, it's the only thing. You can't get it supermarkets, only at a pharmacy.

Also, if you can bear it, remember that it might be easier to have her strapped down in the car / pushchair for some time. So if you can get out, get out. Or wrap both of you up warm and throw her out into the garden.

It's the worst. I'd rather be ill at work than I'll at home with a toddler!

Wrap yourselves up and take her to a playground where she can run and do stuff without your help (if you can bear it).

Then TV, lots of TV

Stay in one room so you dont have to chase her. Put telly on. Bring snacks. Do as little as you can get away with.

If it hurts to breathe you might want to see a GP.
I've been a lone parent for a decade and don't waste a minute getting myself checked out. I can't risk letting something get worse.
Otherwise, lots of TV and some fresh air if you can manage it.

Thanks everyone. We are currently watching a lot of TV.
Bit of a drip feed, but we live in the countryside and I don't drive (for medical reasons). DH is away on a business trip so I can't get to a pharmacy, supermarket or anywhere else.

Are you too rural for Amazon prime/food delivery? If not and finances allow, order some new little toys and books. Get a food delivery of comfort food and easy cook stuff, ready meals (and paracetamol). Get the fire on, blankets on the couch and stay in the one room. And Cbeebies, all the Cbeebies.

Parenting while ill is shit. I had a horrendous sinus infection when DS was 14 months and it was one of the worst experiences to date. He's 3.3 now and we're both feeling peaky so still in out PJs in bed watching Brave. Solidarity .

Amazon do loads of over the counter medication on prime? We’re a hike from the shops so there’s no way I’d manage either, does take a day but it’s better than nothing.

Mean time hot water, honey, steam n if you’re really low on supplies pinch the toddlers calpol. Fling Peppa pig on n become a ball on the sofa.

Can you get supermarket delivery? Tinned soup, easy to prepare food, lemsip. Then barricade yourself into a room with a television with no obvious dangers. Make sure toddler can't access staircase etc. Snooze as much as possible while toddler watches TV. It's really tough but you will get through it. I've been in this situation with DH working away.

everything that everyone else has said but please get help if it's hurting to breathe. Can you rely on taxi to GP if necessary? Or call up a friend who would trek out to help?

I've got paracetamol and I kept back one of DDs Christmas presents for an emergency so she is playing with that. We are really very rural (it's that kind of part of the world) and there aren't many taxi companies. I've never yet persuaded one to come out here.
I have a friend a mile up the road who drives but she has a new baby so I don't want to risk her catching this.

I like the barricading idea, thankyou. Will get my duvet..

Putting her in the bath if you feel dizzy is a daft idea.

Tv, sofa, snack foods will be fine.

If it hurts to breathe, you need medical advice. You are alone and looking after a young child. You can't risk getting worse.

If you’re feeling dizzy etc don’t put her in the bath, you’re just giving yourself more work.
Kids tv on, snacks and drinks for her, things she can easily eat without too much mess. How long is dh away for?
Parenting like this is crap, I’ve been there.
💐

How are you OP?

For future make sure you stock up on day nurse - it really is a miracle worker at times like this.

Hope you're okay

And night nurse. Hard to get better without a decent sleep.
Night nurse and day nurse are the only cold remedies that actually work

No further advice, but to cheer you up:

When DS was around 3, DH was away and I came down with an awful flu- type bug. He was pottering around in his room and I was lying on the floor because I couldn't even sit up. I tried to explain to him that I was ill, and he tossed a box at me and said (witheringly) "You can open that for me mummy. Because your hand's not ill."

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh no. Hope you feel better soon! If you can muster up singing then singing action songs whilst lying down on the couch is good too. I had really bad pregnancy nausea whilst looking after my toddler. He started to imitate me throwing up! I used to just set up areas (blankets with books laid on them, car mat with cars on top, duplo out with a tower started) and just left him to it whilst I was collapsed on the couch. Also got a lot of ready meals in for days I couldn't face the kitchen!

Thanks, everyone. We've been running on ready meals from the freezer and lots of TV. Breathing is still really painful but the GP is so overstretched they can't even offer same day urgent appointments at the moment so it's a&e or nothing.
My wonderful mother in law works part time so when she drove up 3 hours this evening after work to look after us for the rest of the week. Such a relief!

Wow... 3 hours drive!! What a Mil!!

that Mil!

Hope you feel better op and get some help.

I was so ill once I could barely get to the loo, I had toddler in my bedroom with dry cereal, drinks and TV all day. It was hellish.

Common problem for me as a single mum. I have 4 and dread being ill as no help. Had awful d&v once and a newborn to look after plus a 3 year old and 5 year old and a 6 year old! Luckily I’m not ill often.