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When My Kids Play Hookie

Last week my son was sick Wednesday and Thursday with a terrible stomach bug.  He stayed home and I held him most of the time while he slept, drank, threw up, went to the bathroom, and re-cuddled himself in my arms.

By Friday, Alex was feeling better but I decided to keep him home from school to seriously minimize any chances of passing on the nasty stomach virus to any other kid in pre-school.  Sofia, of course, began to show signs that she wasn’t feeling good on Thursday night; so I kept her home Friday as a precaution.

Fast forward to Friday morning around 9:30am. I am trying to catch up on laundry, washing mountains of sheets and towels that had been used to clean up anything that projectiled; a kitchen that was a mess, a long to-do list for work…. with two kids who were not so sick.

Sofia: Mom, can we go outside and play?

Me: Sure honey.

Alex: Mom, you come play outside with Chuchis and Me?

Me: Ummmm, can you and Sofia play together for a little bit? If not, your bed will still be dirty with your throw up (not exactly, but he’s a clean freak at 3).

Alex: Ok mom.

ten minutes later…

Sofia: MOm, can you come do tea party with us?

Me: –giving up any hope of productivity- Sure for a little while. Then, I need to working mommy’s list.

Any mom will tell you that kid sick days are no fun.  They typically mean zero to no productivity… or a “pause” button on your life.  It’s even worse if you have to stay home from work (or your spouse) and take care of the kids.  I’ve been told by many moms that the first year of school is the worst because my kids are now exposed to a million more germs than at home or their 2 day a week pre-school with other stay-at-home kids.

Here are 3 things I do to stay sane and get things done when my kids are home sick and I have housework or deadlines:

  1. Prioritize.  Crate an absolute to-do list.  These are the things that are non-negotiable in order to a) not loose your job, or b) get done for the well being of your family.  Everything else can wait. Calling a client back qualifies for the list, but surfing the net or being on FB doesn’t.  Same goes with washing the puke off sheets or tiding up the kitchen; yet, say goodbye to dusting.
  2. 20 min Activity timer. Find a tv show, game, activity or snack that your kids need to be occupied with for 20min while you get some items done from the list above.  Set a kitchen timer for 20 min.  When the time is up, it’s mommy’s turn to play with kids (tea party anyone?) After the 20min, move on to another activity and tackle something else.
  3. Implement mandatory rest time. Remind your kids that the reason they are home is because they are sick (at least they were at 7am when it was time for school).  After lunch, it’s time for their 1 hour get-well rest.  They must lay on the sofa, bed, or nap mat for this; no toys, books or tv.  If they complain, tell them that this is what happens when they stay home sick.  And, staying home sick is no fun but they must get better so they can return to school to be with their friends.

During the “rest” hour is when I get most of my urgent things done. I will tell a client that I have a sick child at home but I will be available between 12:30 and 1:30pm to call them back uninterrupted (seriously, who wants to hear my kid on the other end screaming, right?)  I understand that some of you have infants and their nap schedule may be different.  Then you need to adjust. It may be two 45min breaks or one long 1.5hr stretch. Regardless, this is the time to get the important things done.

Does this work all the time?  Not always.  But, I will tell you that since I have become a bit stricter on 7-10am sick days (the non-fever-diarrhea-puke days) where the kid miraculously gets better by mid morning and now wants mommy to be play mate… we no longer have issues and I don’t feel like a failure for the day.

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Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

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