Oh that’s right, moms don’t get any. No such thing as calling in sick on the mothering duties, is there? If you’ve got regular care lined up that’s somewhat of a break, but there’s still pickup and dropoff to contend with … it pretty much sucks either way. I’m just wallowing in a vat of soggy kleenex, feeling sorry for myself during this 3rd day of parenting while dragging my aching self around. I want a day off!!
My boys have reacted very differently. One does what he’s asked, grumblingly (please unload the dryer, thank you very much) and the other offers me pillows, checks my temperature and wipes my forehead solicitously with a dry kleenex. Sweating under the mounds of blankets he puts on me to make me “cozy” is quite worth it! I’m appreciating both of them.
It’s hard to go about your day and not lose your cool though, keeping activities to a minimum so you survive, but not so minimum that they go stir crazy. It’s a lovely balance to strike. I’ve had my husband go to work late so he could drop Fynn at school yesterday, leaving me with only one to watch: that helped a lot. In response, I did too much at home and ended up even sicker. Doh!
Today my goal was to lie in the sun at the park while they played, and while that was achieved, getting there involved so much cajoling and questioning and packing that I was pooped by the time I got there! Friends are a help too, and I know I need to get better at asking for specific things. I always hesitate until it’s too late, thinking I’ll feel better than I do. I seem to think that asking for help is the absolute last resort, rather than something that friends just do for each other.
What do you do when you need a sick day?