Life This Week

You guys. This is just one of those weeks where life has been turned upside down. Penelope has been under the weather and so I've spending lots of extra time snuggling. She hasn't been in school so I've been coordinating child care and trying me best to work diligently from home. I had two big presentations due today, with lots of tertiary projects surrounding them. All of that coupled with two nights of lackluster sleep has got me feeling slightly less than 100% today and needing an extra, extra large coffee.

 

{enjoying her favorite soothing treat}

So I missed Baby Talk Tuesday this week and for those of you who look forward to that segment weekly, I'm sorry! Monday and Tuesday were just too crazy for me to get any kind of post up, so the topic I had picked out will have to wait until next week!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep it all together over here. I'm very, very lucky to work for understanding people and in a family-friendly office. All of the agency partners have kids and understand the trials and tribulations of childcare and are so supportive. I count my blessings for this.

But.

Anytime I have to be out because Penelope is sick, I feel a mix of emotions. First and foremost, I am a Mom who wants to be there for my child. I want to be home to take care of my baby. She is my #1 priority in all that I do and while I constantly grapple with being a working Mom in general (something that I am finally coming to terms with). I want to be the one to give hugs, snuggles and more kisses than she cares to receive, especially when she is sick. I want to be the one to tell her it's ok, that she will feel better soon. I even want to be the one to clean up the yogurt that she's swatted away in her refusal to eat because she is not feeling well.

But that's not always possible, is it?

I have a job where I have a set amount of vacation and personal time and let's face it, by this point in the year, I'm almost out of them. This isn't the first time that P has gotten sick in 2014 (and it probably won't be the last) and I've even had to use a few personal days on myself from illness (another issue that I attribute to daycare germs). I have a lot of responsibility at work and to just miss days unexpectedly can be problematic.

I feel guilty missing those days, like I'm letting my work family down. I do work from home on these occasions, but a small part of me still feels the guilt of not being present in the office.

I always find myself asking, how do other working parents deal with this?

It's not easy, that is for sure. I'm super lucky that my mom works from home and lives 30 minutes away. She is always available to take care of Penelope when I'm in a pinch. But what about the working parents who don't have that luxury? What do people do?!

This is a topic that has plagued me since becoming a mom, and prior to becoming one too, as I wondered how working parents could handle that. And the truth is well, sometimes they can't. And sometimes it's exhausting and really $%@!ing hard, but that's being a parent right?

{the brave patient enjoying her post-appointment lollipop}

Nothing is made easier on working parents. Doctors offices close by 6. Personal days from work don't account for a 5 day child absence from school. Work projects still need to be completed on time. 

And through all of this I can't help but wonder if things will have to change. If, since more households have both parents working, other systems will need to adapt. Maybe offices need a child sick day policy. Perhaps doctors need to start having nighttime hours. 

I dunno. I guess we'll see what happens. And meanwhile, I'll keep plugging away with the millions of other working parents. But what I really want to know from all of you parents out there is, how do you handle when your child is sick? Do you work in a family-friendly environment? How do you cover childcare when your child can't go to school?

Comments

[Kimberly]

Awww lil sweet P! Look at those tears! poor thing....hopefully it gets better for both of you! I do NOT know how people juggle both...it seems impossible, but just know you are doing the best you can! xo

[dana]

P is so adorable! I hope she feels better fast! I feel for you. My office is totally not family-friendly but I'll say my 'dept' is more understanding. It's a huge engineering firm so obviously there are tons of employees who have children, but that's all I'll say about that. I'm definitely grateful for the fact that I work from home 3 days a week and that my work is not as pressing as yours. It's just tedious. that's it. Both of our moms work in offices but we have it covered for now where my mom is around Mondays if I desperately need her and she watches Claire all day on Tuesdays. And Fridays my mother in law watches Claire for about 7-8 hours. And both parents live 20-30 min from us too.

I'm certainly nervous for when Claire is a little older, in school and gets really sick, because it's inevitable. So far this year at 7 months old, she has been pretty good. Hope I don't jinx that. We are going away for our anniversary these next three days-childless. I am freaking out deep inside that she'll come down with something while we are away and I cant get to her right away. Fingers crossed that wont be the case. ;)

Good luck !! I also totally concur with the fact that firms/agencys and dr. offices should extend hours and change up certain policies! One day maybe!