Tuesday, August 21, 2012

When Mommy/Teacher Gets Sick

Teacher Tuesdays

I recently shared pictures of our first few days of school. I even created a plan for what I'd do if I struggled with various moods during the year. I neglected to plan for sick days.

Last week, I had some sort of allergy-headache-bowling ball for a brain-kind of day. When my kids were little, we could enjoy a bag (or three) of popcorn and PBS Kids. But that's not an option when "the show must go on" and little minds still need to wrestle through school.

How did I cope?

Well, for starters, during preschool time, while studying the letter B, my boys and I laid down and watched a couple of Blues Clues episodes as I prayed for the ibuprofen to kick in.

Our laundry didn't get finished in one day as I'd have liked.

The dishes remained in the sink. I was thankful the kids had something to eat, even though it came out of a jar and a can.

Daily chores weren't checked, meaning they weren't done.



And for our history reading, my throat was too sore, so I had my 11 year old read for us.

These days happen to all of us. Unfortunately, we don't get sick days. But we can cope. Navigate. Alter the course a little bit.

The dishes can be done another day. The laundry isn't going anywhere. An extra movie in the afternoon while I rest on the couch will not hurt their brains.

It sure does make us thankful for the healthy days, though, right? And early bedtimes?

Question: How do you handle sick-days as a mom? Any tips?
"He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11





4 comments:

Marie said...

Thanks for the honest post. I struggle with sick days and feeling like I don't give enough to the kids. Always nice to hear that everyone has them and the kids will be just fine :)

BeckyE said...

Marie, I couldn't agree more. We'll all be fine. :) Saw on your blog you had a sinus infection. I hope you're feeling better!

Anonymous said...

Around here, sick days usually mean more cuddle time. With two teenagers and a daughter who thinks she's a teenager at age 9, sick days are almost like medicine for my soul. Love your transparent blogs, Becky!

BeckyE said...

Oh, cuddle times sound great! :) Thank you for sharing!