School daze

Is my child well enough for school?

I always thought this would be an easy question to answer before I had kids. Boy, was I wrong.

I definitely do not want to be the mom who spreads the germs to the whole school. But my 4 year old isn't old enough, either, to be a reliable reporter of how well he feels. So I'm making guesses based on his demeanor, his appetite, and his energy level.

My point: It's a tough call. If there's no clear sign of illness—fever, vomiting, diarrhea—you're going to get it wrong occasionally. I think most kids fake it at least once, and every kid has probably come home after school one day and puked all over the rug.

Don't beat yourself up over it. It's never an easy choice.

What criteria do you use to decide whether your kids are well enough for school?

Don't get sick, mom!

We've been a sick house for the last week, and no one was safe. And this time it was bad, the worst we've ever been through as a family.

We've all heard the stories from fellow parents, co-workers, and friends. The one that starts with, "One time everyone was sick, and I was standing around in my underwear cleaning up (fill in yucky mess here)."

I had plenty of those moments this week, and you're in luck, cause I really, really want to whine about them right now.

Because there's a simple rule when the family gets sick, and it's the same rule that applies the other 51 weeks of the year: Mommy is the caretaker.

It doesn't help that my husband's under a work crunch and has two cases due in court.

Now, I could detail the agonies of the last week with late nights, early mornings, a sudden deluge of laundry, and a water heater that chose a choice moment to die. Or I could get down to my point:

I'm a big believer the idea women need to find time to offer themselves the same care they offer others. But sometimes, you need to get others to take care of you.

You can bet that's factoring into my weekend plans right now.

Mired in sickville

Yup. Still the sick house. Now I have the bug. But I don't get it for the same reasons as my children. I, like every other mom I know, fall ill because we're trying so hard to make those around us well.

A friend of mine told me a story of how she passed out - with just her two preschool daughters at home - from pneumonia. Why? The girls had a virus and she was taking care of them. A couple of weeks ago, a young mother succumbed to the H1N1 virus because she'd run herself ragged taking care of her two sick little ones.

What it boils down to is the need to take care of ourselves, too. Why are we so bad at that? I know, I know. Worry about your kids and spouse - who will get Jimmy his medicine in the middle of the night or hold Sally as she coughs so hard it makes her cry. Yes, as moms, this tends to be our job, no, our calling. But you know what? When we fall down (hopefully into bed), the world does not stop suddenly. Somehow, whether it's friends, relatives or a spouse, the kids get fed and the dog gets walked.

The bottom line is to take care of yourself, too. Take a warm bath, go to bed early. Just make sure you stay healthy.

The dreaded sick day

Already, not even a month into school, I have a sick kid. This does not bode well for the year. How do families where both parents work full time cope with such regular to disruptions their schedules? I have some flexibility to my day as long as I meet deadlines, but for parents with big meetings or out-of-town trips....Well, I just don't see how it's possible.

Luckily, this is my older child who can already read. So, I'm able to place a stack of books by the bed and let her enjoy those between snoozes. I wonder how long this will be enough.

For now, I'm taking advantage of the quiet moments to complete some work and see to the myriad of household chores that seem to grow in scope each day. Especially with a sick child.