Whether you’re having a flare of your chronic illness or you caught a bug, keeping toddlers entertained when you don’t feel well is no easy task! We asked real mamas living with chronic illnesses to share their best ideas for entertaining toddlers when you don’t feel well.
Relax your screen time guilt
“No shame in screen time!” – Cheryl
“We are camped out in front of the TV at times, and the guilt is real in these moments, but I try to remember that we need to have that downtime so we can rest and be ready for the next adventure – everything in moderation.” – Meg
“I experienced a lot of guilt because of the amount of screen time I gave my young son, but when I am a single mom going through chronic illness it was one of my only options to keep him safe and entertained as I battled my symptoms and side effects. I would prop him on my lap with a tablet and games while I zonked out, and I would wake up if he moved. It made me feel like a bad mom at the time but it kept him alive and from destroying the house.” – Eileen
Enlist their help
“My two-year-old loves to do things that make him feel big, and he is always pumped when I say ‘I have a job for you.’ I’ve realized that by giving him more responsibility he’s pretty entertained and he can help me when I’m not feeling my best. He can get himself snacks and clear dishes from the table (I’m always nearby), put toys away, clean up jackets and boots, and so on. I do the same thing with his four-year-old brother, who is slowly mastering making PB+J sandwiches.” – Meg
Enlist outside help
“We are a military family and stationed a ways from our families and since my daughter loves to see herself and make people laugh, I will FaceTime the grandparents/aunts and uncles and cousins/friends and turn her loose lol…she stays close to see herself in the iPad and she isn’t making me run after her, and it makes the family and friends happy too. Win win!” – Jessica
Shake up the routine
“I did mid-day bubble baths with soap paint or lots of mom’s kitchen cups and spoons” – Lauren
“I always had a ton of craft supplies and would give them free access to the bin. That way, I could pull it out and let them at it.” – Laurie
“Build a fort with blankets and lay down in the middle of it with a pillow.” –Lauren
“Let them paint.” – Michelle
Consider a system of toy rotation
“One of my secrets is using a system of toy rotation. At any given time, only a small portion of the toys we have are out in the playroom – the rest are in storage. This not only helps with day-to-day clutter, but it leaves me with the option of presenting the kids with ‘new’ toys when I need the toys to do a better job keeping their attention. Still works on my bigger kids too!” – Mariah
Go for a drive
“Go for a drive if I’m well enough. Get them a treat at a drive thru, do a scavenger hunt of colored cars or types of signs, turn on fun music.” – Lauren
“Sometimes I just sat in my car with the kids snapped into their car seats. I might take another 5-10 minutes after coming home just to chill! A girl has gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! I know these are micro moments of peace, but anything helped frankly.” – Laurie
Relax together
“If I’m feeling up to it, we’ll do yoga together. I have some kids yoga songs and books. I pull them out while I do gentle stretches to help my body. Kidding Around Yoga has been a good resource.” – Meg
Our private Facebook group is a treasure trove of advice and encouragement, where real moms living with chronic illnesses brainstorm together and share their hard-earned advice and knowledge. But often the same questions come up in the group over and over again, and a lot of great advice gets buried in our archives! Our “Mama Knows Best” series seeks to organize some of that advice, making it easier for future mamas to find.
