WHEN MOMMY NEEDS A SICK DAY

By Gayle Cunningham

“Ah excuse me Sir, I am going to have to take a sick day tomorrow…”

This excerpt from the most recent NyQuil advertisement makes me laugh out loud every single time. If only I could look at my children and say “Uhmmm… I won’t be in today; I am sick.”

Anyone with children knows that there is never a down day when children are involved. Quite frankly it is not in our job description to ever, ever get sick. I have a few Mummy friends who, with the raging fever of Dengue or the swollen limbs, aches, pains and nausea of Chikungunya, jumped into their cars and dropped off their children to school and back. I wanted to give them a medal.

Over the years I have had my fair share of illness. Some minor and some which literally felt like I was hit in the head with a hammer while walking into a bus. This year alone was horrid. My dog bit my hand while I

was trying to free him from being entangled in a gate. Yes I still have the do. It wasn’t his fault, he was hurting, but my hand was useless to me for months after. Then I got the dreaded Chikungunya. Oh my goodness this virus is no fun to have. And even less fun if you have it and have to care for a household of sick, achy people.

What do you do if you are too sick to lift your head or in my case a hand and really could do with a sick day or two?

ASK FOR HELP

Mummies always feel that they have to do it themselves. But we all have to remember that if needed, grandparents, husbands, partners, even your best girlfriends, would be willing to step in if you ask. And if you are lucky they will step in without you having to ask. I am fortunate; I do have a great support network so when I am really sick I just need to wait for my housekeeper who then takes over from my husband. My friend with Dengue fever though wasn’t so lucky; her husband was off the island as we say, and that is when the best girlfriends came in, offering pick-ups and drop-offs for her son. They even brought soup.

TELEVISION IS YOUR FRIEND

Television becomes my friend when I am sick. All of a sudden my ban on television is lifted and I am a big fan of Disney and Nick. While the television keeps them occupied I can take a nap while I wait for the flu pills to work. I also always have a stack of paper and crayons available for those times when they just need mummy time and could join me on the bed.

WE DO SO MUCH FOR OUR CHILDREN THAT WE FORGET THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MANY THINGS.

DON’T FIGHT THE FAST FOOD.

Home-cooked meals are temporarily replaced by fast food. If I dared to be sick on a day or days that our housekeeper has off, that’s always a viable option. When Daddy is in charge it means ice cream and cake and maybe some fried or jerked chicken. The thing to remember is that at least they are being fed.

Accept that your kiddies can help themselves, and you!

My little girls who call me to help with every little thing on this earth, almost always forget my name ‘Mummy’ when I am sick. It was while I was down with a really wicked flu, and I was using the wall to prop myself up, that I taught my oldest daughter to make her own Milo using the microwave. We do so much for our children that we forget that they are capable of many things. I think it was during another sickness that they figured out how to dress themselves. Going back to the dog bite, I discovered that the same daughter could make a mean cup of tea. She knows that I have a cup everyday at 4pm and she made me one. My heart overflowed.

The thing to always remember is that it is okay to be sick sometimes and it is also okay to relax, rest and get better. Your children understand a healthy Mummy makes their life happier.

Gayle Cunningham is a Trini-girl living in Jamaica just trying to keep sane with twin girls and their brother and sister. Enjoy her blog at kidfriendlyja.wordpress.com