The viruses have taken over our home for the past six weeks. I’m done with winter! When mom gets sick, the house falls apart. I mean, Mom can’t get sick!
When mom gets sick, she doesn’t stay in bed from morning to night? No!
Business as usual.
Life is still business as usual. It doesn’t matter if we are coughing up a lung, we still take care of business. Even if we’re taking antibiotics, or puking our guts out… we’re still getting up from bed, making lunches and getting the kids off to school.
We stock up on a combination of throat lozenges, Advil and oil of oregano, and head to work.
Sure dads help, sure. Even for moms who have amazing, equal partners, there are just some things that only we can do. Dad is off to work and mom is home with the kids. Even when trying to get rest, kids rush to mom to read a book, cuddle, or check homework.
Moms never get a day off.
Instead, we trudge along, like the warriors and goddesses we are. Unless we are bed-ridden by doctors orders, we continue to keep the house running otherwise the whole house will fall apart.
I’ve been known to slap together a quick dinner, hunched over the stove wearing a blanket like a cape – more like a SuperMom cape. See, because the pain that moms bear – similar to the pains we felt during childbirth – are what gives us our tiger stripes.
Moms aren’t supposed to get sick! Somewhere in the Mom Hand Guide, moms are not supposed to get sick – they are now allowed!
The kids mean well.
For a few minutes, the kids will hover and want to snuggle with you because they know mommy is sick. Suddenly, the doorbell rings – the neighbourhood kids want to play. And they’re off! See ya, mom!
But… can you make me some soup?
I wish the kids could know how to make us chicken noodle soup from scratch. The pre-packaged kind just won’t cut it. I mean, we could provide our recipe, and attempt to offer detailed instructions. But there are too many steps and we just don’t have the patience! Can one of you kids just TRY to make us a pot of chicken soup?!? Look up a recipe on Google, or watch a how-to YouTube video!
No one knows where anything is.
Nobody else in the house knows where the thermometer might be. It would be complete sense for it to be in the medicine cabinet, but every time someone is sick, it ends up somewhere else and never back where it belongs.
Nobody else in the house knows where ANYTHING is!
“MOOOOOOOM, where is my favourite sweater? Where is my lunch bag? Where is the sugar?”
If you can’t scream back instructions, it would be best to write out a detailed to-do list for the rest of the household… along with a note to be placed on your bedroom door, or within the vicinity of your couch – Do Not Disturb – Go Away – Mom is Sick – LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!
Milk it.
Even if you COULD get up, DON’T. Now is the time to test the waters and see how the rest of the house can manage on their own! Now is the kids’ chance to figure things out on their own, right? If you haven’t already, they will have to step up.
MILK IT as long as you can… the kids will eventually learn that the dishwasher won’t load itself, the clean clothes from the dryer won’t fold by themselves, and the oven will just magically pop out dinner.
Keep your butt on the couch or in bed, and watch Netflix all day… the rest of the house will figure it out.
