Times when you can’t call in sick
- Karen Wilson: Family Corner
- August 19, 2023
- 537
Remember the days when you could ask your mother to stay home from school because you didn’t feel well? Or you had a job that gave you paid sick days?
You could put work on hold and just go back to bed and rest. And then you had kids. Or decided to run a business at home.
If so, you may at times feel a bit nostalgic for that opportunity to call in sick.
Are you at home feeling ill while toddlers run around you in circles? They’re full of energy, and you just want, maybe need, to stay in bed all day. You could ask someone to watch them while you rest, but then there is the chance you might infect that person.
If it hasn’t happened yet, it likely will, so have a plan in place in advance. Maybe pick a bedroom or other room you can close the door and be certain the kids can’t find their way to other parts of the house. No, I’m not going to suggest leaving them in it and going back to bed. Stay in there with the little ones.
While you are still feeling well, collect special toys, games, videos, playlists and such. Don’t let the children play with them on a regular basis. Keep them hidden away for sick days or days that you have to concentrate. Then pull out those items and let the kids entertain themselves. If you can make it educational, all the better.
Make a comfortable nest for yourself. I don’t suggest actually sleeping, but you can at least rest while being available. Explain you are sick and ask the children to help you feel better by enjoying the special play things.
Our kids are old enough to take care of themselves, probably me too if needed, but I still can’t always just go back to bed when I don’t feel well. That’s the independently working from home part.
Because our sons are doing a job off the farm today, I’m responsible for getting all, or at least most, of the chores done. So I’m making notes about this column while feeding chickens and winding up electric fence wire. My upset stomach might go away faster if I sat down and relaxed, but then again it might not. Anyway, it’s not serious, so I can keep working. The distraction is rather welcome.
But we do have a plan for really sick days. Basically, we try to all know how to do the jobs the other members of the family normally do — that way we can cover for each other when necessary. If I had been sick enough to need a day in bed, they could have juggled the chores before leaving.
Your situation will be unique and change as your children get older or your work-at-home circumstances vary, so take the time periodically to plan for the unscheduled yet expected interruptions to your normal activities. When those times arrive, you’ll be relieved you did.