31 Days of Family Fun: Get Well Box

I mentioned my Get Well Box yesterday and thought I should elaborate on it here.  It was a lifesaver to have on hand and added a little much needed fun to being sick.

My poor sick baby with chicken pox

When my daughter was little I kept a box I called the Get Well Box on a shelf in my linen closet.  It contained cans of our favourite soups, a box of crackers, a package of Jello cups, bottles of Pedialyte and Gatorade, cans of ginger ale – the kinds of foods and drinks you might want to have around when someone gets sick.  I also kept some of the basics in terms of medications in there too – cold medication, cough syrup, stomach medication, and so on.  This was also where I stored the hot water bottle, the heating pad, the thermometer, cool vapour humidifier, and such.

Flickr, ghindo

Wait, I said this get well box added a little fun to being sick didn’t I?  Doesn’t sound like much fun so far does it?  Well, along with those practical items, I stocked the box with colouring books and crayons (nothing like a brand new box of crayons when you’re sick!), activity books for the younger ones and crossword puzzles/word searches/Sudoku for the older ones.  If I had found a great deal on a game for my daughter’s Game Boy, that could go in there.  A new jigsaw puzzle often went in the box.  If I found little toys that would work well as quiet, sick bed toys at garage sales or the dollar store, I’d wrap them up and put them in there. 

It always put a smile on my daughter’s face to have a new little gift to unwrap when she wasn’t feeling well.  I usually had some get well cards in the box as well as a new nightie or set of pajamas if I could find some for a bargain.  There are many, many more ideas that could be included here but the idea is to keep it stocked with those items that you generally need when someone in your family (including YOU) is ill (you know, those things you often have to run out for in the middle of the night?) as well as some quiet, but fun gifts and activities to make them smile.

Flickr, Jess1820

When my daughter was first leaving for university and we were doing all the shopping and packing to prepare for it, I came to a sudden realization.  She was going to get sick at school and I wouldn’t be there to take care of her.  I knew that this would make her sad and homesick and I knew that I would feel helpless and sad that I couldn’t be there to help. So, I bought a small bin and put all kinds of stickers all over it to dress it up (medically themed stickers).  I wrote “Dr. Mom’s Super Duper Get Well Kit” on it and snuck it in amongst the other items being packed as a surprise for her.  I put a note on it saying that it was NOT to be opened unless she was sick. It was full of much of the same types of items I’ve mentioned above – soup, Jello, medications, ginger and peppermint tea, Sudoku books, and the like.  I also included a little stuffed toy that she could cuddle and that would remind her of me (a stuffed Patrick from Sponge Bob – inside joke!) as well as a little stuffed German Shepherd as a representative of our dog.  I also put in a few little love notes telling her that I hoped she felt better soon and that I loved her.  She was very touched by it and I know that she found it helpful and made good use of it.

What soothes and comforts you when you’re sick? Make yourself or someone you love a “get well box” for just such an occasion!

This blog post is part of a month long series.