M is sick again. I absolutely hate it when she's sick. Not only do I get to watch my child cry in pain from her sore throat, but I get to sit up with her all night as she wakes every hour or so and can't sleep except propped upright on my lap. And then, to top it all off, we're trapped in the house. Can't go to the pool, to the park, to the gym or playgroup because she'll spread her snot and disease around to the other kids. Can't go shopping because (1) the cranky child won't stand for it; and (2) neither will our budget. Can't go outside because it's four frillion degrees out there.
It's only day 1, and I'm already desperate for something to do. We've colored and played with play dough. We've stacked blocks and watched Sesame Street. We've read books and played with water. It's 3:15, and I've given up. (it goes without saying, right, that having M take a long nap has not proven to be an option? She slept for 35 minutes this morning, long enough for me to shower and take a 5-minute power nap) I've dragged one of the Baby Einstein DVDs my mom gave me when M was born out of the depths of our media/game closet, and have popped it in. My, but these things are vacuous, and don't even get me started on the fact that the DVD has a "repeat play" option. But M is, sadly, enthralled.
I feel so dirty. I always swore there was no chance my kid would watch this crap. She's only ever watched one of the videos, one day when we both had a stomach bug. The one she's watching represents the second chink in the wall. Apparently, all it takes for me to sell out my principles is a cranky child and one day of boredom.
It's not helping my principles any that M really seems to love the video. I've now spent 15 uninterrupted minutes on the computer; unprecedented in this house. Even when she's watching her beloved Sesame Street, M cannot stand for me to be doing something independent of her. She'd normally be over here, asking to be picked up, nursed, flipped upside down, tickled, sung to or something (anything) else to get my attention.
Anyway, what do you all do when trapped in the house with a sick kid? At this point, I'll take any suggestion that does not involve actually using that infernal "repeat play" feature.
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I hate those kinds of days, too. While I do allow a little more TV on those days, I also have my daughter 1) string giant beads/buttons on a tied-off shoelace creating necklaces/bracelets 2) use various kitchen utensils/gadgets to play in a big bowl of dried beans or rice and 3) spend hours playing with stickers (she likes this book: http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Sticker-Activity-Learning-Paperback/dp/0312490992 ). Good luck!
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