So, I’m finally coming off of this damn cold/deathwatch I’ve been enjoying the past five days. I have felt only two shades better than “dead” and at times I’ve wished I was. Of course, being a mom, I still couldnt just lay in bed all day, I had to clean up after Christmas, do the daily housework, and take LilZ on our annual “E/K Day” extravaganza which was modified this year to account for my dying and for NikkiZ’s feedings.
(E/K day is the day LIlZ and I take after Christmas to go shopping and spend the day together. It usually involves at least ONE movie and ONE meal eaten at a restaraunt of LilZ’s choosing.)
I thought I’d pop in to let you know that I am still here…just not feeling close to par yet. I’d also like to know what it is about being a Mom that actually makes me feel GUILTY for taking time off of my maternal/domestic obligations to ride out a cold? Why can’t women do that? Why do we feel like we’re failures if we lay in bed for more than five minutes at a time?
ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!
No…I know you can’t answer me…but it’s a good question. Is it something hardwired into our genetic makeup or is it society induced? And please let me know I’m not the only one who deals with it whenever I’m not functioning at my normal level.
Now…off to go find the lung I just coughed up.
I’m not a mom, but when I’m sick, I freak out when I’m missing obligations I said I’d do or school work. Now that might be because the ABA requires us to go to 80% of our classes, no excuses allowed, but…
hugs, honey. Hope you feel all better today.
It’s the same reason that we feel guilty for not entertaining when we are in labor.. Our next door neighbor is here *hoo hoo ha ha* sure I can talk, send her in..*hoo hoo ha ha* Not a problem, I’m not tha tbusy.
Beloved Miss Zoot,
The guilt? Society induced, of course. Plus something to do with the combined horrors of patriarchy and the Bush Administration. Throw in some Catholicsm and you’ll be wearing a hair shirt, too.
In other words, I say to you, Sweet Zoot - go back to bed.
Happy New Year to the Zooties.
I remain,
A stalwart fan
For a year and a half
And forever more,
GraceD
Proves my way of thinking, mom’s cant get sick and they can’t take vacations. lol
I hear you! SO sorry you are sick and I have no clue why we women keep on going even when we’re sicker than a dog. I think some of it is guilt and another is feeling like the whole house will fall apart if we don’t do it. At least, that’s the case for me.
I don’t know why, but it does seem that as soon as a mother gets sick, everyone in the family NEEDS her. Hubby can’t find this, the kids need something done yesterday and the animals all decide to poop or toss their cookies on the rug!
Take Nikkiz and go to bed and sleep as much as you can. Give the infamous mother’s glare if anyone so much as comes near you!
Be well!
get well soon
I don’t have kids but I am the exact same way. Pushing myself when I am all but about to drop. It is awful. I am on day #3 of the deatly cold that everyone seems to have, but alas IU will drag myself to the office tomorrow because …. that’s what we do.
Rest up when you can.
I think it’s hardwired into Moms (Dads too, but perhaps to a different extent) to feel like they can’t get sick or have any weaknesses that compromise what they feel the standard of care for their kids should be.
I have learned however, that there is no shame in putting the kid in bed with you, putting Thomas the Tank Engine on a continuous loop, giving the kid a bowl of cheezits and a cup of milk and then popping your head up every once in a while to make sure no tradegies have occured while you were *out*. Of course, doing this on a daily basis would be bad.
Glad you’re feeling better
I hope you get to feeling yourself again soon!
There’s been something going around my office, so I’ve been avoiding all my co-workers.
Get well soon!!!!
Yeah, and how come the husbands are such babies when they get sick? Mine has to be waited on, hand and foot, and I have to sympathize with all of the whining about how hhhhhooooooooorrrrrrrriiiiiiibbbbbbbbllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeee he feels. Their moms must have felt the mommy guilt too, and spoiled them when they were little and sick. We just learn to suck it up and deal with it. Damn!
Am feeling like death too. Hope you were at least able to enjoy E/K Day a little bit.
I hope you’re on the mend!
I’d love to hear the answer to that question, too. I’ve been popping tylenol and ibuprophen for three days just so I could function enough to entertain the kids.
And I still said “I’m sorry I’m sick” to my husband. I make myself sick with all this guilt, I tell you!
Sometimes getting sick is our body’s way of saying “Yo slow down, take care of me.” For some of us one nostril being plugged up can be the end of the world, for others it is the flu. But any way you look at it, it’s difficult to recuperate when you are responsible for kids who need caretaking. If taking care of yourself means you pop in a 8 hour tape of Blues Clues, so be it! It’s only a small portion of the time you spend with your family. Now, if every day for the next 18 years includes an 8 hour marathon of Blues Clues, then maybe there could be an issue….A few days of zoning out in order to get those fluids pumped in so you can again get pumped up about parenting, that is just fine! Feel better Zoot!