I have been feeling the ultimate Mom guilt lately. It is one of the hardest things to juggle when your children are sick and you are a full time working parent. Trust me-I know I would do anything in the world for my children, and I know that no matter what my children will come first before my job, but it is really really hard to take off work when your child is sick…if you’re a teacher. If you know, you know…
My children are lucky they have two full-time working parents, so we can divide the time between the two of us. Typically I usually take off for the appointments (doctor, dentist, specialists, etc) and my husband takes off for the last-minute sicknesses.
But man is it tough. I went into work today knowing I left my husband with three sick children. And the guilt was enormous.
I got to thinking about it a little more, though. And here’s the thing-if you are lucky enough to have a counterpart who you can tag team with, it truly is the old-age adage that “teamwork makes the dream work.”
I am so thankful I have a husband who is able to just call out of work, who is willing to be the parent he signed up to be, who can handle the messy vomit and the cleaning up after and still manage to introduce my kids to Bob Barker and “The Price is Right”(because what else do you watch on a sick day?!).
And even though I am typically the parent who has the kids the majority of the time on weekends and all summer, I am glad they have this moment with my husband. He doesn’t see it, but I know years from now my kids will remember those sick days sucked, but being home with Dad, playing video games and watching tv made it suck way less. And I think that’s important. I want them to have these memories with their dad. I get all summer to make memories with them-take them places, bake cookies with them at holidays, do the spooky stuff around Halloween, endless hours at the park. Those are my memories with my kids. But I’m glad my husband gets to have some too.
So, if you’re part of a true team, be thankful. The guilt will never go away when you are the default parent, but be grateful you have someone to fall back on when you need them. I know my husband is always willing to step in to switch out with me, and I cannot thank him enough for that.
