Ibd Sufferers: You Can End the Struggle

Now that you've found out that their child needs surgery for a foot fracture, you can expect to learn all about the preparations and procedures your family will experience from your surgeon or sites like http://www.towncenterorthopaedics.com. But the road to recovery after surgery can be a long one – your little one may be off their feet completely for as many as four to twelve weeks. So it's a good idea to put a little focus on making sure that your their downtime isn't a drag during recovery. Here are a few effective ideas to consider implementing:

Plan a Special Schedule

You can give your child something to look forward to while they recover from their orthopedic surgery procedure, by planning a special daily schedule that can be used until they're up and on their feet again. You don't have to plan out your days entirely, just plan one or two special activities that you, your child, and the rest of the family can enjoy together.

Creating a special schedule gives your child an opportunity to stimulate their mind and their body at a specified time each day while they are otherwise bed or couch ridden. Try including these ideas in your schedule:

• Play charades.
• Play Simon says.
• Engage in a sitting water balloon fight on the porch or in the backyard.
• Do some upper body painting on large pieces of parchment paper.

The idea is to incorporate something fun into your child's day while at the same time keeping them mentally and physically fit.

Do Some Acting at Story Time

Although your child won't be able to walk around while their foot recovers, they'll need to move the rest of their body for exercise whenever possible. A great way to make sure that your little one gets some mild exercises on a daily basis is to do some acting during story time. Grab some props from your closet, like big hats and colorful jackets, and put on an impromptu play while you and your child read a bedtime story together.

It's easy to do things like mimic sailing in a ship while on the bed. In fact, doing everything from climbing ladders and searching the woods for bears, to traveling around the world and getting to know wild animals, takes nothing more than an imagination and a good story.

Bring the Outdoors Inside

Chances are that your child will get tired of sitting in the house while their foot fracture recovers, but you can combat some of those feelings by bringing the outdoors inside! Put lots of fresh plants on floating shelves in your little one's room to give it a park-like feel.

Install an indoor swing near one corner of the room where you can carry them to once in awhile, and put glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling to provide a camping experience while the lights are out. Your child may even enjoy playing in a small tent, or sitting around a faux campfire to pass the time. To give the room more depth, consider hanging murals of trees, flowers, the ocean, or a sunset on the wall.

Encourage Helpfulness

If you're like most parents, you have a fare share of chores to tend to around the house every day, and you may find that balancing those chores with taking care of your recovering child to be a bit burdensome. So why not kill two birds with one stone, and ask your child for a little help?

Helping around the house instills a sense of independence and responsibility in your child, and it keeps their little muscles moving while they can't run and play like they want to. Ask them to fold clothes, do some dusting around the area where they are resting, or make the grocery list as you call out things you need while looking through the kitchen.

With the help of these ideas, you can enjoy your child's company while helping them feel empowered, engaged, and stimulated as their fractured foot heals.