What do you do with your young kids when you and your partner are both sick?

[weeblueberry]

We've been trying really hard to wean our 3 year old and 18mo off so much tv. Reducing to an hour a day.

The last two days my partner, me and the baby have all been really ill with a virus. Completely lethargic and taking it in turns to sleep while the other one watches the kids. Unfortunately 'watching the kids' has become 'watch Paw Patrol for hours at a time'. The baby doesn't know what's going on and keeps crying/whining. All she wants is to cuddle up. So it's mainly my older daughter - what do you do with younger kids when you've not got the energy to play with them? She'll do her own thing for a while but eventually gets bored and badly behaved which I can't handle just now.

A walk round the block? You feel horrible but a bit of fresh air is usually a good thing. Aim for a 30 minute walk/puddle jumping session then back to Paw Patrol for another half an hour

Oh it's grim. I shudder remembering those days.
Lowering standards is the only solution. Do as little as possible
Rely on tech if it helps. TV galore. Easy food. Tag team parenting is good and you've cracked that so you're doing well.
Get well soon!

Do whatever it takes to get through. Seriously we've just had this too and l couldn't care less how much TV the dc watched since last Thursday!

Telly. All the time.

I put together a little stash of dvd's that I could pull out on sick days.

Tv until you're better. Then wean them off.

This is why you restrict TV the rest of the time. If they see TV as a treat it holds their attention when you need it to. If theyre used to it on loads, it's just background noise. TV on all day if necessary when you're ill

Ohhhh yess been there done that. When you feel crap just do what works and gets you through the days/week till you feel better!! I had wisdom tooth out and was very sick with it and had an infection/complications and was quite ill and in horendous pain for about a week, dh was luckily off for week and we just had to take it in turns to watch ds (1) and just occupy him with anything that made it easier to be honest!

Illnesses mean all bets are off. Takeaways, TV whatever it takes. DH and I got really sick when DS was 3 months old. ILs took our older children and we lay on the bed taking turns staying awake to mind the baby who luckily was great.

We have no television, I suppose they are just used to entertaining themselves when needed. Depending on there ages, when small we would either shut everyone in bedroom or living room together, with toys and books so we could doze and them play. Usually in living room with us on sofa with duvet, just let them Potter around, whoever was less ill would leave load soft water and snacks within reach.
From around 3 years we would leave them to play in living room and stay in bed, but we live in flat so bedroom is next to living room

If I was ill but not vomiting/ dizzy, when small would take them out in pram. Everyone gets 30 mins air and change of scenery

How did your DC get get so TV dependent in the first place?

Thanks all. Nice to know we're in the same boat. Re: the suggestion of going for a walk we literally couldn't have done this yesterday. It was flu like and we were basically sitting on the sofa shivering until we got to bed. T'was grim.

How did your DC get get so TV dependent in the first place?

Because we're shit parents?

In reality we used it as a crutch when doing housework, making meals etc. I recognised that and decided to stop it, hence the reducing tv hours..

TV! I've had a truly shit pregnancy and DH works long hours. On the good days I've really gone for it in terms of outings and activities for DD. On the bad days we've had Peppa Pig on all day and Jaffa Cakes for lunch. DD doesn't seem particularly scarred.