When Parenting Gets Tough

One of the hardest lessons I have learned as a parent is being a parent through an illness. No, I am not talking about my child's illnesses.. That is hard too but natural instincts take over and you become supermom when your child is sick. The hardest is when I am sick. Parents do not have the right to be sick or tired or just plain lazy. That is so freaking hard! Before Grant came along, I would have an occasional migraine or a cold and I jumped in bed or laid on the couch. I would sometimes take a nap on the weekend.

Now, I am not allowed to be sick. If I am sick during the week, I still have to go to work. I can not afford to take off a day for having a migraine or for a sore throat or for the flu. Yes, I do get sick days at my company - actually they want us to make all sick days up now - almost impossible and another story/rant. But when I use a sick day, it has to be for the kids. I have already used 3 days of sick leave this year. I am trying to make some of it up. I don't have much vacation and I have hardly any FMLA because I used both for my maternity leave. So the plan is for the next month or so, I will work 12-15 hours a day on the days that Daniel has furloughs (at least 2 a week). It is hard. I can work a couple 12 hours days but to work 5 days a week and add in a couple plus 12 hours. There have been a couple times that I haven't seen my kids at all, the whole day. Cruel and unusual punishment.

So twice this week, I got sick at work for a migraine (thank god for my own private bathroom). On Thursday, I started getting a sore throat. Today (Saturday), it is even worse. But as a mother, I have learned to ignore this. I can't nap - I have children to feed, clean, or play with. I have a very sick baby that needs me to be well. I have learned this lesson very well....you can not be sick when you are a parent. Suck it up!

And I am talking about this as a working mother. It is the same for SAHMs too. They are not allowed to be sick either. No, they won't get an absence code but they have to take care of their children no matter what! Fever of 101, suck it up and feed your babes. Feeling nauseated, your one year old could care less as he leaves you a load in his diaper.

I believe this is the hardest lesson and something I did not think about when I got pregnant. What was your hardest lesson?

As a side, Miles has been sick for the last two weeks with an ear infection. He had a temperature this entire two weeks. He finally seems to be on the mend. I have never in my life seen a child of mine in that kind of agony. This was my first time dealing with an ear infection (Grant has never had one).