I am in need of a bit of guidance or advise from the Stay-At-Home or Work-From-Home, or even the not so stay-at-home types of parents today. Since as I noted earlier, I have to juggle my schedule and work from home today since our aftercare program which is school based closes along with the school for Spring Break.
Under normal situations, I have found attempting to work from home sometimes a bit daunting, because LatteGirl always seems to have a need for something (a drink, a toy, a hug, etc) as soon as I sit down at my computer. Now having wireless, I can (and do) “set up shop” in the dining room so she doesn’t “feel lonely” but that has done little to stem the tide of requests. But that is ultimately manageable, and I can eventually get my work done. But today is not a normal situation for me.
Nope, it seems that much to my surprise, that I am getting sick. Now that may not sound like a big deal to many people. But I don’t get sick. (Oh sure, a bit of a cold here or there, but never for more than a day, and it never is enough to slow me down). The last time I was ill was when I managed to get Strep Throat back in 2003, and that was the first time I had missed work due to getting sick, and had to use a sick day… you know… for actually being sick, in 16 years. So feeling ill is just not something I am used to.
To keep a long story short (Shut it!), how do I manage to keep LatteGirl entertained (fortunately she has 1/2 day today, so I can still take the morning to get some work done and well you know… post this), when I would rather be doing something like, sitting with my head under a towel enjoying the fragrant aroma of Vick’s Vapor Rub, or even more preferable drinking a few shots of warmed up whiskey er… cough syrup, or maybe just ripping my lungs out of my body? (which granted could have an entertainment value for some, but is probably a bit too PG-13 for my 6 year old… excuse me “6-1/2 year old” daughter) How do you balance your need to get well, against the needs of the “I’m bored” child?
Less important can you tell me, how do people deal with this whole”getting sick” think? It just isn’t terribly convenient, so why do normal people do it so often? And how do I get the aliens that are creating this odd green substance the hell out of my lungs?
I’m not going to say “suck it up, bud.”
Unfortunately, life does goes on, whether you are sick or not. It’s a tough one, and usually I tend to have to put my needs behind tending to the chitlins. But I guess it depends on how sick you really are. the other day I couldn’t MOVE without getting ill (cold, fluids in ear, imbalance, vertigo, puke, GO!), so I HAD to ask for help. My inlaws stepped up when I asked them – what a RARE thing here, but if they couldn’t help me, Pumpkin wouldn’t have gone to school, they would’ve stayed in their rooms or in a closely guarded place, and hubby would’ve flown back home in an INSTANT. Which means hours.
I don’t know how I do it, but I just do. I DO suck it up. I let them watch tv, color, anything mindless for ME when I’m under the weather. And I serve easy meals (I keep these on hand).
And I’d try to nap as much as you can, even if it means bringing a child into MY bed so they can watch tv there. Use gates. Find some alcohol.
Feel better, babe.
The “Suck up and deal” is obvious (I thought). You do what you have to do when it comes to your kids. I was more inquiring as to how to occupy them.
My daughter would happily cuddle up with me in bed and watch whatever we have stored on the Tivo. But then, I will be back home tending to her while she is sick. Not the best trade-off as I see it.
I dunno, maybe if I got sick a bit more often, I wouldn’t feel so caught off guard by the whole thing.
I am confused about this whole “occupy the kids” thing… it stems from not being a parent and having memories of being raised in a time when people weren’t as paranoid about their children playing outside unattended (I’m not going to say there wasn’t danger or the world was populated by bad parents – but back then, people simply didn’t know a lot of the stuff that they know now). When my mom got sick during a time I wasn’t in school, the following options are what happened:
#1 – I was shuffled off to have a “slumber party” at someone else’s house.
#2 – I was plopped in front of the TV with a grilled cheese sandwich, fruit, Kool-Aid and a bag of air-popped popcorn and told that I was only allowed into her bedroom to inform her that someone was imminently about to die and that I’d get the spanking of my life if I came in for any other reason.
#3 – I was locked out of my house immediately after breakfast until about an hour before dinner and told to “go play or ride your bike or something.” She would pack me a lunch for days like this and told me to make it count because it was all I was going to get before dinner.
I’m not saying that you should consider any of these as viable options for dealing with YLA, but I am saying that if you took a moment to explain to her the situation and let her know that you need LOTS of rest, she would most likely take it upon herself to “take care of Daddy” and occupy herself while you got some sleep. She sounds like she has an active enough imagination that if she were forced to play alone, she could come up with all sorts of games or stories or drawings to keep her busy.
I am so not a fan of the getting sick thing!
I would get out every box of crayons and art supplies you own,
turn on NicJr and pray.
Best of luck to you, I hope you feel better fast!