I thought milk & doughnuts was the perfect home remedy for BBβs pneumonia, but it turns out I was wrong. Struggling to breathe and with her little chest heaving, we ended up in A&E.
She was all floppy like a ragdoll and was immediately fitted with an oxygen mask and admitted. Seeing Misery Guts carrying her limp little body in his arms with a nurse following behind herΒ with an oxygen canister will stay with me for a long time.
Numerous tests and a chest x-ray later and it was clear we were going nowhere fast. Every time we took the oxygen mask off, even for a sip of water, her monitor would start beeping because her oxygen levels were too low. She was really quite poorly.
But slowly and surely she started responding to treatment and after three long days and nights we were finally able to take her home. I could have hugged the doctor when he said we were free to go.
Inevitably, as she started to get her mojo back, being stuck in the same bed in the same room meant it wasnβt long before boredom kicked in. So how can you make a hospital stay fun for kids?
Hereβs how we coped:
1. Make hats out of vomit bowls. All you need is some felt tips or crayons and a vomit bowl. And there are plenty of those.
2. Magazines. I swear weβve spent our entire child benefit payment this month on those over-priced kidsβ magazines, hospital car parking and c**p food. My tip with the magazines is to look for ones with longevity β one we got came with no less than 400 Disney princess stickers which kept her occupied two days in a row so was actually quite good value for money.
3. CBeebies. A TV on a retractable arm next to BBβs bed was a godsend and meant she could watch all her favourite shows. If your hospital isnβt so well equipped you could stream it on a phone, laptop or tablet.
4. Glitter. Iβve never met a four-year-old who doesnβt like glitter, and with some card and glue the possibilities are endless. Even if I still havenβt managed to get bits of it off BBβs scalp.
5. Colouring in. Like glitter, another good sit-down activity. The nurses brought round pictures every morning for the children to colour in, and colouring books were among the presents friends and family sent in to keep her occupied. I quite enjoyed it too.
A word of warning though: all these treats &Β attention means we’veΒ taken home aΒ proper little Veruca Salt who would ‘quite like’ a TV like the one in hospital next to her bed, as well as a bed that ‘moves’ (she means with a button thatΒ elevates the mattress so she can sit up).
Her ward also featured a window with one of the best views in Brighton, and as we were driving home she said: “But I don’t want to go home mummy, because then I won’t be able to see the lightsΒ flashing on Brighton pier when I go to sleep”.
Linking up with…
Natalie what a tough few days for you all and such a shock when you thought she was on the mend. I am so glad she is recovering and you showed amazing resourcefulness keeping her occupied in hospital! So glad she is home and better and wouldn’t we all live the view of Brighton pier from our room? Take care x
Thank you so much – it’s really been a rollercoaster of emotions for the last week or so. This time last week I really had thought she was getting better – they can change so quickly! x
Wow what a week and you’ve come out smiling. Love the sick bowl hats!! She’s a lucky little girl. #bestandworst
Tell me about it – it’s been a roller coaster!x
Glad she’s feeling better – what a rough time it must have been. I love her comments about the view though, kids are so resilient sometimes! #bestandworst
She is still saying she wants to go back to hospital because she liked it there! I’m hoping we never ever have to go back x
So glad that she is feeling better. Sounds like she had a lovely view from her hospital bed and that you and the staff did a wonderful job of keeping her entertained whilst she was there. I quite like the sound of a bed that moves too and a TV on a retractable arm. Hope that she is continuing to recover well at home and thank you for linking up to #ftmob π
You should hear the demands she’s been coming out with since though!x
Aww so pleased to hear she’s made a good recovery, I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for you all. Some fab tips, obviously I hope to never have to make use of them but if I do I’ll be checking them out again! Thanks for linking up to the #bestandworst lovely! xx
I hope you never need them too!x
I’m glad that she’s feeling better! That’s a great list of advice for brightening up a hospital stay. It’s funny that she wanted to stay in the end and that she would ‘quite like’ a tv next to her bed. You must have done a fabulous job of making her week as pleasant as possible under the circumstances – well done! #fromtheheart
She’s still talking about wanting to go back a week on!
I’m so glad your little one came out of it so well! The benefit of doing glitter in hospital is also you leave the cleaning to the hospital staff…. Thanks for sharing #fromtheheart
That said, a surprising amount of glitter made it home too!x
What a challenging time! I’m so glad you were able to make her more comfortable. Particularly love the vomit bowl hats, super crafty. Thanks for sharing #fromtheheart
We’re still playing with the vomit bowl hats now!
[…] not a fun topic and one the mum in question probably never wanted to have to write BUTΒ How to make a hospital stay fun for kidsΒ is full of great ideas. Although she does say that constant access to the iPad may have created a […]
Awful for her to be ill, but at least you managed to make hospital fun for her! I love all your ideas and glue is definitely a big hit with my kids too, the hats looks fab too. Lots of great tips!
Thanks so much for linking up to #HowtoSunday π x
We’re still playing with that hat a month later! Hopefully this post will come in useful for anyone who finds themselves in hospital unexpectedly…