S is for Sick Days

Sick days were always much easier pre children. We could spend the day in bed and recover and only myself or hubby would get sick, rarely would it be both of us.

Now with kids it's one in all in.  And with Bee and Bear going to kindy they seem to bring home more bugs too.  Bear currently has a chest cold which has been hanging on for more than two weeks and over the weekend Bee has come down with her first bout of tonsillitis.

So while we haven't been doing any cooking together I have been thinking about the best food for sick kids.  I have gathered together some of my own recipes and ideas for feeding sick kids and some from fellow bloggers as well as a couple of posts on activities to do with your children when they are sick.

The one food I could rely on as a child when I was sick was Vegemite Toast Soldiers.  Vegemite (a savoury spread) always seemed to help settle my stomach and when I was a bit older mum would make me a cup of tea to go with it.  Bee is a fan of Vegemite and I have been able to get her to nibble on Vegemite toast and Vegemite on tortilla wraps.

I don't add parsley to the kids' soup.

Chicken Soup is a wondrous thing when you are feeling sick.  Homemade Chicken Soup is even better and it doesn't have to be complicated to make. Click on this link to download my recipe for Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.

Homemade Yoghurt Pops are soothing on a sore throat and if you use a yoghurt with active cultures they will be good for your child if she has been on antibiotics like Bee is at the moment.

Ginger can be calming on upset tummies.  Try having your child nibble on some cute Gingerbread People (minus the icing and decorations) if they are feeling nauseous.

Once your child is starting to feel better try these Falafel Burgers.  Their bodies will benefit from all the extra vitamins, minerals and other goodies.

Or if your child is happy to eat their vegetables chunky this Seven Vegetable Minestrone from Mama Miss would give them a great boost too.

This list of 8 Ways to Cope with Sick Kids from Kate at Picklebums is a good place to start.  The tips include how to keep fluids up and providing snacks to remind your children to eat.  I too have found the power of a heat pack for helping Bee with her aches and pains.

And to cheer your sick child up and keep them busy Alison at Pint-sized Treasures has 19 Activities for Sick Kids

If you have sick kids I hope this list helps. 

M is for Moderation

Photo credit: Scott Ableman

Everything in moderation.  We’ve heard the phrase before but in today’s society it can be very hard to follow.  Moderation is one of the habits I want Bear and Bee to learn.
 
I firmly believe that moderation, especially in relation to food, is an important habit to have.  I try to eat a healthy diet, but sometimes I indulge in caramel tarts, doughnuts and hot chips.  I love a good coffee so I try to drink plenty of water during the day too.  We eat mostly meals made from scratch but occasionally we eat meals made with convenience products, e.g. bottled sauces or takeaway foods.

With two girls I worry about their teenage years.  I worry about all things that will negatively impact on their self esteem and self worth.  So I hope that by living and teaching them moderation I will be able to fortify them a little for what is to come in the future.

Wendy Blume, from the wonderful blog Vegie Smugglers, writes about living in moderation too.  Have a read of her post Searching For Food Joy.
 
If you have time, have a look at the HuffPost article that Wendy refers to, 14 Habits Of People With A Healthy Relationship To Food.  Like Wendy, I was encouraged when reading this article to find that I have most of these habits too. I admit that ‘not keeping problematic foods in the house’ and ‘not sitting down with the whole bag’ (habits 7 and 8) are difficult but are things that I always try to do and have for a long time.  It certainly is easier not to overindulge if you don’t have bags of potato chips, lollies and other treats in the pantry.