Everyone has a bad day here and there, even younger kids. If something bad happened at school or on the playground, the might be feeling blue. If your child looks glum, here are some simple (but effective) ways to cheer him or her up.

1. Write a special note

If you know in the morning that your child has a tough day ahead of them (perhaps a hard quiz coming up), you can pack their favorite lunch and include a special, heartfelt note in their lunchbox or backpack to surprise them. Let your child know how special he is and how you will be proud of him for doing his best no matter what.

2. Say yes

There’s probably at least one thing that your child has asked you to do many times that you always say no to. When you know your child is feeling down, take this moment to say yes to his request. It might mean saying yes to a sleepover, doing an activity with him that you don’t really enjoy, or cooking a meal that only he likes. It will make him feel special to know that you’re doing something that you wouldn’t normally do just to cheer him up.

3. Play a game or sport

Sometimes all we need to take our mind off something is a lot of activity. Choose a sport or game that requires a lot of attention and focus. If you can, make sure everyone gets a lot of exercise!

4. Go out for ice cream

A sweet treat will go far to help cheer someone up, especially if it’s a treat that’s usually reserved for special occasions. You can let your child have dessert before dinner just this once and use the time to bond and talk about why it’s important to express our feelings, whether they’re happy or sad.

5. Volunteering

Take your child to volunteer at a nursing home, soup kitchen, or children’s hospital to pass out cards, snacks, or gifts. It will feel good to know that you are helping others and this won’t be lost on your child. When they see how their actions are cheering up others, you’ll see the smile return to their face as cheering people up goes both ways.

Guest Blog by Kori Mausner, Inventor of Fun Wraps

In 2000, 13-year-old Kori sprained her wrist, she was given a standard beige elastic bandage by her father, Dr. Mark. The next day at school, Kori used markers to turn the boring wrap into a wild leopard print. The kids at school loved it, so Dr. Mark provided her with more bandages to draw on. Before they knew it, the first of many Fun Wraps was created!

Fun Wraps are washable and reusable compression bandages with a starter loop that gets you "wrapped" quickly and a Velcro closure to secure it together. All of our patterns are kid-sized, super easy to wrap and offer maximum support to warp speed your healing time. Fun Wraps™ will also help hold on ice, hot packs or bandages and you can even wear them just to look cool, we won’t tell. They work great for ankles, wrists, knees and noggins and come in a variety of colors and patterns.

For more information, visit http://www.funwrapsbsi.com.

Interested in writing a guest blog for Baby Elephant Ears? Send your topic idea to pr@babyelephantears.com.

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