How I soothe the children when they are unwell...

When I was little I used to get ill a lot. I was diagnosed with asthma from a very young age and it meant that something like the common cold could really take it out of me. I remember the feeling of my mum rubbing Vicks VapoRub onto my chest and back to help me breathe more easily at night-time. I loved the comforting touch, and would often fall asleep as she did it. If I was off school due to illness all I ever wanted to do was be cuddled and snuggled under a cosy blanket on the sofa. I wanted my mum to comfort me and stroke my hair. I wanted to be looked after.

It feels like recently we've just had a run of cold after cold after cold. If it's not been me feeling under the weather, then one or both of the boys has been snotty and sniffy. It's just the way it is this time of year, especially with Little N being at nursery school. All of a sudden there are all these germs to be spread and caught, and while it's great for their immune system in the long run, it's can be a miserable time while they're suffering.

I often think back to my own childhood as a way of understanding how best to help my children now that I am a mother. It helps me think about things from their perspective. I remember how much better it made me feel to know that I was being cared for and that my mum had time for me. Time and care are such important gifts to give, and I want my children to know that I have both in abundance.

So we've spent a lot of time this winter curled up on the sofa with our blankets and our hot chocolates. We've shared a lot of cuddles while we've read books and watched movies together. We've pretended to be doctors and nurses while we've made the boys' dolls better, because they've caught colds too. Obviously!

Night-time can be particularly difficult as the children wake themselves up with coughing, so often Ian or I end up snuggled up with the children, or they come into our bed. And I resort to the favourite trick from my own childhood, a soothing rub with Vicks VapoRub. We've rested and we've had the odd dose of paracetamol, but I think the power of a little TLC has been what has really helped us all feel better.

Vicks have got four fun little magic trick videos over on YouTube that you could do with your children to entertain them when they're unwell. Laughter is an immune booster after all! I really like the sliced banana trick which I've included below. I bet you can't work out how it's done without the magician revealing!

What tricks do you have for helping your children feel better when they're sick?

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This post is an entry for the #VicksTricks campaign.