It starts with a cough and sniffle, quickly moving to coughing and hacking, sneezing and watery eyes. My son, the hypchondriac, will begin taking his temperature regularly, routinely assessing each ear to see if his temperature has gone up, stayed the same, or gone down. When we get to the point where the vaporizer comes out, he's sucking tea like it's a pacifier, and he can't quite coughing, I know I'll be taking a day or two off.
My son is a good patient,generally, and does what I say. However, getting sick can't be scheduled, and he always seems to get sick when I cannot miss school. This puts me into a conundrum: how do I reconfigure my lesson plans so I can stay home and there's continuity in my classroom or who can come watch him while I go to work? It was easier when my mom was alive; she'd generally do it although she knew she'd be sick next. But now, there's me.
It's not as though working moms cannot prioritize; we can. But I, for example, have meetings scheduled, appointments, grading, a new lesson to introduce. And really, what will I do with my students that will be enriching and meaningful while I'm gone? I love my son, and I'd do anything for him. I wish he could get sick, however, when it's a little more convenient.
But that's the lesson I'm supposed to learn, I guess. While a sick child is the bane of my existence, this might also be a chance for me to spend quality time with him, take care of myself, and slow the both of us down. This is an opportunity to embrace; I just need to get myself there.
