# Do your kids play outside when they're sick?



## Wild Lupine (Jul 22, 2009)

Sometimes I get a little confused about what my kids need to recover from an illness- fresh air, rest?

When your kids are sick, as in sick enough to cancel activities, contagious, slight fever, coughing, sleeping poorly, complaining/whining, etc.. how much physical activity do you allow? Do you make them rest, allow quiet activities, or let them be as active as they want, or somewhere in between?


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## crunchy_mommy (Mar 29, 2009)

Yes I absolutely let DS play outside when he's sick. Actually as soon as I think he's coming down with something I take him outside. I swear the fresh air clears out his system & does him a world of good.

If he's too sick to want to play and move around, then I usually put him in the ergo and take him for a walk, or just sit outside with him.


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## 4evermom (Feb 3, 2005)

It depends. Ds is just getting over an upper respiratory infection with fever, so essentially a stuffy, drippy, sneezy cold with sore throat. I discouraged him from going outside much for a couple of days because he has seasonal allergies. I didn't think his symptoms needed to be aggravated by more of the same due to the pollen.

But other than that, I let him decide how active to be. I suppose some kids aren't good at listening to their bodies (mine isn't always) and might start something they couldn't finish (like a long bike ride). I might discourage ds from doing something really active if it seems it might aggravate a cough. Coughs are one of those things that the more you cough, the more you need to cough and the longer it takes to go away. Because your throat is irritated, you cough. And coughing in turn irritates your throat more and makes it harder to heal.

Sometimes cold crisp air helps breathing. A bit of sun is generally a good thing. And sometimes acting sick (lying around the house) makes you feel more sick than you are. And a bored kid tends to dwell on their misery and feel worse.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

I let my kids choose their activity level. I don't restrict anything except contact with others if they're contagious. When DD1 is really sick (3 times in her 5 years) she lies in bed without any encouragement from me.


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## beenmum (Nov 29, 2010)

I dont send them outside unless they stayed home b/c of a headache, stomache ache or something not cold/flu related.

Fever and chest congestion is an auto stay inside all day and cancel activities.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

They don't get sick often, but if it is something flu-like with aches, fever and gastro symptoms they tend to settle down inside and don't really want to go out. I encourage rest but if they wanted to go outside I wouldn't make them stay in. I don't think fresh air would harm them, if that's what you are worried about.


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

I don't let her play with other kids if she's potentially contagious, and in our neighborhood playing outside usually means playing with other kids, as they all run around together and would run over here if they saw her outside. If she wanted to run around outside and not play with other kids, that would be fine, but usually she settles down inside when sick.


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## pumpkin (Apr 8, 2003)

Playing outside while sick is rare. If she is mildly ill and the weather is temperate then we will go outside if she wants. Most of the time here it is freezing or incredibly hot. The last time I let her outside on a warm day her fever went way up. It was just too much for her little body.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

If they're sick enough to stay home from school, they're sick enough to stay indoors.

Once they're well enough to want to play outside, we send them back to school.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

I usually follow my kids' cues when they're sick. And when they feel bad, they're usually hanging out on the couch not doing much.


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## HollyBearsMom (May 13, 2002)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Alyantavid*
> 
> I usually follow my kids' cues when they're sick. And when they feel bad, they're usually hanging out on the couch not doing much.












My son knows how he feels better than I do. I think fresh air does a sick kid good so if he wants to play outside I have no issue with it.


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## Jenni1894 (Apr 1, 2011)

It depends.....My son had the flu and the next day he made a miraculous recovery to play in the 2 feet of snow we had just gotten. He played outside for about 3 hours. He was never any worse.

My ODD had croup recently and had to miss a sleepover and water park adventure with her brother...AND we all had to miss a family pool party the next day because of her illness. Needless to say she was pretty heartbroken..she's only 3 and didn't understand. Poor thing kept saying I go swimming, I promise I won't get anybody sick!! But anyways, the next day I let her ride her scooter outside and I swear it did her a world of good!! She coughed a bit more with the activity...but that is the nature of croup. But she never got worse and no one in my family got it even her baby sister who shares a room with her!!

I think the fresh air does them good..plus it tires them out so they can rest so their little bodies will heal.


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## Snowflake777 (Jan 6, 2011)

I follow DD's cues, but I do place some limits.

DD tends to overestimate her energy levels when sick, and I've found that if I let her be as active as she wants then she tends to overdo it, then comes crashing down again. So, I might let her play outside, but not far from home and maybe not for as long as she'd like.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

i think a change of scenery for recovering kids really, really helps them.

of course when they are SICK its bedtime. they dont even have the energy to do anything.

but yeah i have let dd choose her level of activity.

one thing i have noticed if i listen to dd and give her the rest she wants in the beginning she doesnt get really sick.

so if dd is sick with no symptoms i keep her home and let her do what she wants. mostly to sleep or watch a movie. next day she is well enough to go back to school. she feels better. but had i insisted she go to school i am sure she would be really sick.

the sickest she has been was when she had hte stomach flu and she would just stay on my lap. but with a 104 fever she was riding her tricycle.

two years ago when she got her only horrible ear infection (visit to ER, pain with blood dripping out of her ears) she desperately wanted to go to the festival we usually go to and i kept saying no. we'd been to the ER that morning. finally i said lets try it and we went to the festival. camped out at night and spent the next day too. i did not have to give her any pain pills she had been prescribed.

i really do think the brain is the biggest healer. i know for myself i have tried it on me. sometimes i have had enough and told myself - forget it. i am not going to listen to the doctor. just get back on regular diet and life. and sure enough i was good to go.


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## Wild Lupine (Jul 22, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ollyoxenfree*
> 
> They don't get sick often, but if it is something flu-like with aches, fever and gastro symptoms they tend to settle down inside and don't really want to go out. I encourage rest but if they wanted to go outside I wouldn't make them stay in. I don't think fresh air would harm them, if that's what you are worried about.


It's not the fresh air that concerns me, the more fresh air the better, but the level of activity. I wonder about my kids running around when they need their energy for healing. My kids don't self-regulate, probably because they're so young. If they're outside, they'll run around, even to the point of collapse. So my sense is to keep them in to conserve their energy. But I know fresh air and sun are good for them. My inclination is to go out in small doses, but I'm just wondering what others do.


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## crunchy_mommy (Mar 29, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wild Lupine*
> 
> It's not the fresh air that concerns me, the more fresh air the better, but the level of activity. I wonder about my kids running around when they need their energy for healing. My kids don't self-regulate, probably because they're so young. If they're outside, they'll run around, even to the point of collapse. So my sense is to keep them in to conserve their energy. But I know fresh air and sun are good for them. My inclination is to go out in small doses, but I'm just wondering what others do.


You could also put them in a wagon/stroller/bike trailer/etc. so they can get the fresh air without overdoing it.

My DS is not an active toddler so he would just sit outside or have me carry him around out there.

But I swear, as soon as I see him coming down with something, if I get him outside, the bug is gone in no time... if we stay cooped up in the house (due to weather or whatever) then he is way more likely to get full-blown sick or be sick for much longer.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Wild Lupine*
> 
> It's not the fresh air that concerns me, the more fresh air the better, but the level of activity. I wonder about my kids running around when they need their energy for healing. My kids don't self-regulate, probably because they're so young. If they're outside, they'll run around, even to the point of collapse. So my sense is to keep them in to conserve their energy. But I know fresh air and sun are good for them. My inclination is to go out in small doses, but I'm just wondering what others do.


wild lupine (i love your name - i'll never forget the sea of them i saw for the first time on a mountainside in spring) u know i dont really think its fresh air or even using up all the energy. its a mind control thing. dd is a v. high energy girl. and plays longer and harder than most kids. even now. even as a sick child she did the same. and then she'd come in and sleep the night thru even though she wasnt still sleeping thru the night.

for me i have had 'rest' drilled in me since i was a child. i have discovered that its not always true. i recall 'rest. you are sick. stop running around.' i remember hating resting. conserving energy. see fever really doesnt need to conserve energy. at least for me and dd. its bigger stuff like the flu that takes it out of her.

somehow play IS the healer.


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

My kids don't usually want to go outside when they're sick, but if they felt like it, that would be fine with me. I might not agree to take them anywhere away from home, either because I wouldn't want them to spread their germs or because I'd be afraid they'd start feeling sick again while we were out, but I wouldn't put any limits on what they could do in our own yard. I know getting outside usually makes me feel better if I have something like a cold.


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

Dd is sick rarely. When she is sick I usually encourage her to take it easy- do quieter activities, drink lots of fluids, and nap if she feels like it. She doesn't have to stay in bed all day like I did as a child but I probably wouldn't want her running around outside playing either.

If dd was sick more often I might feel less restrictive about some outdoor play time if dd were up for it.


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## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

if kiddo is up to going outside, I let her. Especially in the summer where she can get some good rays from the sun since I find I feel better getting sun myself. I don't force her either way about activity except in the case of being contagious and around others.

When we were sick growing up, my mom always made us stay in bed and sleep. We weren't even allowed the tv unless we were awake eating something for lunch. It was horrible. Sometimes when I'm sick, I'll feel better for awhile and feel worse for awhile and its HARD to just do NOTHING for a full day, especially during the 'better' parts of illness.'

I figure even if she runs herself all the way down playing too hard, then she will get in some REALLY good deep healing sleep all night. Our bodies take care of themselves better while we are asleep anyway so if she is awake, she might as well run around if she wants.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I let them play outside if they want to. If they want to be active, they'll be active, and I think they're better off outside than inside. So, I let them go out. If they're not up to it, they'll stay on the couch/in bed. I've never had any success with trying to make my kids rest, anyway.


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## Interrobang (May 15, 2011)

Yes, as directed by them. To me, there's a difference between backing out of "stressful" environments (structured activity) when sick, and playing outside. I don't know that it's really fair to say that because they don't want or feel up to committed structured activity, they're too sick to go outside when they can choose to come back in and rest and get comfort whenever they need it.

Besides, fresh air never hurt!


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