One thing that can be particularly hard about recovery is helping your kids feel like things are normal and okay while you are really not feeling normal and okay. I know, for me and my boys, going through multiple surgeries has been tough. Not to mention the “normal” days that my body is full of aches and pains from my Lupron shots and hormone therapy.
It can be so tempting to want to just hide away and try to find some way to recover and make it through the tough days. Trying to be a good parent on the tough days can feel almost impossible. And yet, our children still need us just as much on those days – maybe even more so.
With that in mind, here is a list of 15 things to do with your kids while you are recovering from surgery or feeling bad from chemo or radiation.
- Watch a movie together
- Play cards
- Play Scattergories
- Watch them play video games
- Do a page or two from the Brave Guide to Cancer together
- Play 20 questions
- Read a book together
- Play Yahtzee
- Color together (I like this positive affirmations coloring book!)
- Write and illustrate a story together (My kids love publishing their stories with the Lulu Jr. Book Making Kits. They also have comic book making kits which would be a fun option too!)
- Play Mad libs
- Play restaurant – have them make a menu, serve you food, etc.
- Listen to music – they can even have a dance party with you as the audience
- Play hangman or tic tac toe
- Give them a scavenger hunt of items from around the house – download a free scavenger hunt in the Parenting Resource LIbrary that you can use for your kids to do as a team or individually. I designed this one to be done with a camera so that they don’t bring you a huge mess!
