As a mother to twin girls and a little boy I want to ensure that all my kids are healthy and well. I’m sure if you are a parent or help care for kids that would be what you would like too. However there are times when everyone gets sick. One child might have a cold, a fever, the flu or if it was like our ongoing saga with tonsillitis it effected both kids until they were removed (the girls have been well aside from the common cold and illness since the removal of their tonsils.)

When your little ones get sick you do your best to make them feel better. It could be cuddles, songs, yummy food, and favourite shows and of course some medicine to help your kids feel more like themselves and allow the body to get better, rest is best so that you can be well.

No matter how simple or common the sickness is you cannot help but worry about your children. When my kids are sick I am worried about them all the time.

Last Thursday the kids and I went to learn about Children’s Panadol (The kids were excited to meet Shelley Craft. Yes I watch The Block and therefore so do the kids) great new online resources to help parents care for sick kids and to also alleviate the anxiety that can go with sickness.

Shelley Craft from the Block and Dr Kimberley O’Brien who is the founder of Quirky Kid Clinic and also an expert in child development and mental health. Both Shelley Craft and Dr O’Brien spoke about how to have planning strategies to help parents deal with stress and anxiety when children get ill as it can be HUGE help for parents and children as well.

This talk was in response to a “new global survey of parents, including Australians, suggests that parents manage day to day mishaps and mistakes calmly, but still get stressed about the important things like helping their children through illness”

“71% of Australian parents fell anxious about fever/temperature and 66% feel anxious about their child’s pain”

Children’s Panadol have created the following tools to help support parents in managing their child’s health:

1. Buddy Bear is an interactive animated website that allows parents to entertain children when they are sick. It is a good idea to create the different files before you need them as you can save them to your device. Once you are on the site you are asked if your child is a boy/girl. Then fill in age, email and add photo and your video will be emailed to you when it is ready. Get organised and download a few so you have them ready.
   While your child is watching Buddy Bear you can get the dosage of Children’s Panadol correct and not be so flustered and anxious.

   Buddy Bear – The great new interactive way to keep your little one entertained while you get the medicine sorted to help your child get better. Developed and created by Children’s Panadol.

2. The First Five Years Book – This fabulous resource is written by child health nurses to help parents with practical tips and tricks to help them understand the ups and downs from birth to 5 years old, help you enjoy being a parent, learn about major milestones, understand activities that your baby might be doing. You can read it online or download it.
3. Bub Tracker App – This is a FREE App that helps new parents with advice on dosage for medicines, feeding tracker, feeding log and much more.“Parents do not sweat the small stuff, but worry more about the illness cause, recovery and prevention – especially mothers”

I hate it when kids are sick. I wish I could make it all go away.  I also hate when I get sick, yes if kids get ill, I end up sick too! Perils of motherhood.

 

The tools from Panadol are a HUGE help to make it a little easier on parents and also kids. I have downloaded some of buddy bear’s interactive videos in preparation for Alexander.

Dr Kimberley O’Brien has 5 tips to help manage anxiety and soothe your sick child/children:

1. Make a Plan. Having a plan removes second guessing yourself and the worry. Make sure that you include distraction and calming tools if medication is required.
2. Know your tools. Have a favourite toy/book/game to help comfort your child. A personalised DVD that the child will be happy to watch would be of great help.
3. Empathise. Try and see the situation from your child’s point of view and this can give you some insight into their behaviour.
4. Do familiar things. If you can make sure you stick to your regular family routine. This will create a sense of normality at home and allow everyone to be more relaxed.
5. Manage your anxiety. Call on your support network for help. You need a break if you are the only one caring for a sick child, a break will allow you to increase your quality of care and not get burnt out in the process.

 

“They are less concerned with diet, medication usage or what they are doing wrong – though parents of younger children worry more.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly parents of children aged 6-12 are not as ‘extremely ’anxious”

What are your thoughts on making a plan to be ready for sick kids? Well you are not planning on having sick kids, just how to deal with it.

I love the Buddy Bear videos and the bear is so magical to watch. You could sit for hours just being amazed at how cute and wonderful the bear is. Kids will love this as much as adults do. Give it a go, download and save some videos just in case you need them. Also check out the other online resources from Children’s Panadol.

Disclaimer: I went along to the media briefing about Children’s Panadol to learn ways parents can be less anxious and to hear about techniques that can help children when sick. I have had many times when the twins were ill, they then got me ill and now with a baby it will all happen again (Currently Alexander has a cold and is also teething. Joyousness it is not!). I think that the online resources that Children’s Panadol showcased are excellent, not only are they FREE, they are highly informative as well. Thanks to Children’s Panadol for the invite and allowing the kids and I to learn more about your online tools.