About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Managing Sick Days
silver spoons canada
(Jan.15.10)
Like many co-parenting families, nothing gets us hot-headed faster than a day that starts with a feverish or barfy kid. What do you mean you can't stay home? Why does your job always come before mine?
Of course being the mom, and the one with the more flexible job, I usually end up trying to work from home in order to wipe the nose (and bum) of whomever happens to be sick that day. Here's how the day plays out.
3:30 AM: Someone wakes up screaming.
3:35 AM: I finally realize it's important and my husband is not moving. Drag myself out of bed to see what's the matter. Ack! S/He's sick!
3:40 AM: Determine need for medication.
3:45 AM: Bring sick child into bed with us. Get kicked in the back for the next three hours.
7:00 AM: Call a meeting with my husband to determine if the child is too sick to go to daycare. One of us eventually remembers the don't-bring-them-in-with-a-fever rule.
7:30 AM: We are no longer speaking. I've lost the coin toss. Don't get me wrong, I'm not desperate to get to work, I just want to avoid the home-with-sick-child email.
7:45 AM: I finally admit defeat and send a pathetic email to my boss and coworkers. Pray that I don't get sick, because I can't afford another sick day, but admittedly, I'm feeling pretty unwell myself.
9 AM: Does this child not know s/he's sick? Why won't s/he sit still for five minutes? Personally, I'm ready for a nap.
10 AM: That's it, I'm cheating. I pop in a DVD and pull my child's feverish body in for a snuggle. It gets us to lunchtime, which get us to naptime, which gets us to, "Your Daddy better not work late today!"
How do you decide who stays home with the sick child?
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