To ask how to cope with being ill and looking after toddler?!

[SaltAndPeppaPig]

Oh Jesus, I am ILL. No idea what it is, but I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst headache of my life, and promptly threw up. Since then I’ve been sweating, throwing up any painkillers/water/coffee I’ve had this morning and my head is absolutely killing me!

My worst issue is, I have my 2 year old to look after by myself all day!! My poor boyfriend has had to go into work (he’s only been there two weeks and people are off on holiday) and I literally have no family or friends who can help me out - so I feel extra sorry for myself!! What the hell can I do to get through this fucking shit day?! Currently got my daughter in bed with me with shitty kids shows on the telly, but can’t see how I’m going to make it to the end of the day I just want to lie in my bed by myself and cry/sleep!!

Lots of hot drinks for you, and don't feel bad if you have to have the tv on all day, it's so you can survive. Will she get in the bath with you? It might make you feel better and you can be in there for a while, just keep topping up the hot water.
Have you stopped being sick? If so is there a soft play with a sofa you could collapse on to and have a drink while she plays?

Sounds like you're doing the best thing in the circumstances. Make sure you have plenty of supplies for your little one then don't move again for the rest of the day. Full up a large bottle with water/juice for them and have a load of snacks to see them through until your bf can come and take over. Lie and get as much rest as possible. I hope you start to feel better soon op.

Frozen dvd.

This is what CBeebies was invented for. Lie on settee with toddler in front of TV. It's not for a day or two.

Hope you feel better soon.

The child will be fine, they are intuative (most of the time) just make sure the locks are on the bathroom cabinet and sharps drawers, nothing more exotic than finger foods and gasp cartons of drinks to hand, or pre made up tippy cups.

I'm a single mum with a toddler who isn't really interested in the tv. I wish he was but he'll only watch 10 mins at a time. I'm afraid you just have to crack on no matter how awful you feel! Bit different for me as I have no help at all. But I just do what I can to get through the day. Painting and play doh etc he can do in the lounge whilst I lay on the sofa. Just allow him to get all the toys out and worry about the mess when I feel up to tidying. A day or two of independent play never harmed anyone.

Best advice I can give, is to set the tv up with lots of films/netfilx for kids to keep your LO engrossed, make the living room a bedroom by bringing down duvets pillows etc and declare it a pj day for you both. Make a plate of picky bits, sandwiches etc and put in the fridge so when she's hungry it's all ready to go. Dose up as much as you can and make the living room as safe as possible so if you do drift off there's nothing or nowhere your child can get to that's dangerous (though I've never really been able to drift off longer than a few mins as DS likes to make a lot of noise!) Hide as many of the annoying/noisy/dangerous toys you can..basically baby proof the crap out of the room so you can rest a bit without panicking. Having gone through chemo with a 3yr old at home this was the only way I found to get through the day till DP came home. Also don't worry if all they eat are sandwiches/toast/biscuits etc it won't do any harm for one day. Hope you feel better soon

I'm in the same boat. Day 4 of death cold.... my toddler is 21 months and I'm 28 weeks pregnant 😣 am a teacher and feel guilty about being off work but can barely lift my head... I homestly could have cried this morning when my husband went off to work... he won't be back in until 9 tonight and of course he didn't even bother doing the fucking food shop so we've got minimal food in too (not that I'm hungry but still!). Husband has a day off tomo so I'm holding out until then... we have Peppa pig on and every single toy spread all over the loving room... it's crap but do what you can to survive xx

Same here. Worst thing husband said this morning as he left for work... Have a rest day ay?

Good advice here PPs currently slumped in front of Peppa Pig while the wee one rips around the living room she can do whatever she likes today and eat as much toast as I can muster the energy to butter for her... Still vomiting and weak but eaten some crisps (hope they stay down!)

Ohh Iloveanimals....gotta love that classic line not !!

Poor you, hope you feel better soon! It's hell coping with a two year old when you have a sickness bug. I was in this situation a few weeks ago but luckily it only lasted 24 hours. Most sickness bugs are over quickly. Keep your strength up with crisps, lucozade, ice lollies, anything you can keep down. Do you have any anti-sickness meds at home? If so take them half an hour before painkillers so you keep them down. I had some metoclopramide stashed in the cupboard which was very effective! I also took regular codeine-paracetamol for the headache and body aches.

Make a nest in front of the TV with pillows and duvets. Encourage toddler to watch her favourite things on iplayer. I also let mine empty all her toy boxes and the cardboard recycling box on the floor to keep her entertained. Sticker books, magic painting books and other non-messy activities were good. I had a few sneaky naps on the living room floor while she played next to me!

Get well soon

My view is that you need to get up just have a basic wash and put comfy clothes on. Get downstairs and get something out Toddler can play with on their own, I would try to get some medicine down me even if I had to resort to kids calpol so it slides down, get them in a pushchair and outside for a walk and if playground close wear them out on that. When its naptime lie down and sleep yourself. Even if they don't sleep they must rest so into cot or bed with books if necessary and you to sleep elsewhere.

Playing Dr and nurses with a real live patient can sometimes help - although being prodded can be annoying.

Take everything slowly, do a one pot food for lunch and leave some for evening.

Do an online shop if needed it will be here tomorrow but plan for it to arrive just after DH gets in!!

I’m so sorry, OP, that’s really rough. Just rely on CBeebies, Peppa Pig or a Disney DVD, or Netflix if you have it. Colouring books, play doh, megablocks are also winners with some toddlers, they were with my DDs in those days.

It’s horrible when you’re feeling like that, I’ve been there.

I remember feeling furious with my DH about a year ago when he was off work with a bad cold (man-flu). The DDs were at home, I wanted to leave them with him for about 15 minutes while I nipped to Tesco Express to buy a couple of things; I just didn’t want to put up with them asking to buy things for once.

He said he wasn’t up to having both of them so I took one of them with me. But fgs, all he had to do was switch the TV on (they were 7 and 4, not toddlers).

I hope you recover soon, OP. Hopefully your DD will nap? On days like you’re going through, I used to just get whichever DD it was that wasn’t well into the buggy and take her for a short walk outdoors at nap time and she’d be asleep by the time I got back.

Don't worry about trying to entertain her, take her out etc. I am a lone parent so have been through this many times with both of mine and those are the days I lay on the sofa and they get cartoons, Disney films, crisps, popcorn etc. Basically as long as they have at least something to eat and are safe that is all that matters. I think they look forward to me being ill actually .

Just relax as much as humanly possible and I hope you feel better soon.