The Journal of an Honest Mom

Sick days are never fun, but they’re also not impossible.

They just seem to be.

As a mom to four kids, it’s inevitable that somebody is going to get sick. Usually, though, it’s not all four kids at once.

Today is one of those days where we’re getting pretty close.

Our younger two are sick. Our older two are healthy.

Which means our younger two want to sit on Mom’s lap. They need help cleaning up, whether that’s from not making it to the restroom or from throwing up. They’re struggling to eat. They don’t feel good. They want Mom.

Meanwhile, my older two are perfectly fine.

Remember, my oldest is six years old. These boys have energy to get out.

They still want attention. They still want to play. And because we homeschool, they also still have schoolwork that needs to be done.

Mom, inevitably, is also sick.

Dad is also sick.

Whether that be because Mom said she’s sick or he’s actually sick, I’ll let you be the judge.

Nonetheless, while being sick, my duties do not change.

Well, maybe that’s not entirely true.

The mandatory duties don’t change.

Everything else gets demoted.

That’s probably the best way to describe our house on a sick day. I’m not doing nothing. I’m actually doing quite a bit. It’s just that the things that normally matter suddenly don’t matter nearly as much.

Everyone still has to eat.

Everyone needs liquids.

The sick kids need to be cleaned up and taken care of.

If somebody throws up on their clothes or their bedding, that laundry has to be washed.

The older boys still need Mom. They still need to get some schoolwork done. They still need to play and get some of their energy out.

Those things are mandatory.

The basket of clean clothes that needs to be folded?

Demoted.

The dishes sitting in the sink?

Demoted.

The toys scattered across the playroom?

Very, very demoted.

If you walked into my house today, you would know that we’re sick.

There are toys everywhere. There are baskets of laundry sitting around. The sink has dishes in it. Things need to be picked up.

And that’s okay.

Because today isn’t the day for catching up on housework. Today is the day for doing whatever absolutely has to be done and letting the rest sit there.

The housework will wait.

It always does.

Unfortunately.

Another thing that changes on sick days?

Screen time.

Normally, I care about how much TV the kids are watching. I want them playing. I want them using their imaginations. I want them outside. I don’t want them sitting in front of a screen all day.

Sick days are different.

Screen time is pretty much unlimited around here when we’re sick.

Half because Mom needs the reprieve.

Half because the sick kids don’t want to do anything anyway.

And honestly, you just find the balance.

If sitting underneath a blanket watching TV keeps a sick child content for an hour while I clean up from somebody else being sick, get everyone something to drink, switch over a load of laundry, or simply sit down because I don’t feel good either, then we’re watching TV.

And the healthy kids are probably watching it too.

I’m not fighting that battle today.

That’s really what these days become: figuring out what matters and doing what you have to do to make it work.

The house doesn’t have to be clean.

The laundry doesn’t have to be folded.

The toys don’t have to be put away.

We don’t have to have a productive day.

We just have to get through the day.

So I’ll find something to make for dinner that doesn’t completely drain me but will hopefully replenish my kids. Hopefully the younger two can keep it down while the older two don’t complain too much.

That’s the goal.

I’ll wash the clothes that actually need to be washed.

I’ll help the older two with the schoolwork we can reasonably get done.

I’ll let them play and make a mess.

I’ll turn on the TV without worrying too much about how long it’s been on.

And I’ll sit down and cuddle the younger two because, right now, that’s what they need.

Somewhere in there, I’ll hopefully find time to take care of myself too.

These days are short-lived, and I’m very thankful that they are, because sick days always seem to be some of the longest days to me.

Maybe it’s because you’re already tired.

Maybe it’s because you’re stuck inside.

Maybe it’s because every normal task seems to take twice as much energy when you don’t feel good.

Or maybe it’s because you’re caring for little people who don’t feel good while also caring for little people who feel perfectly fine and cannot understand why the entire house isn’t operating as usual.

Probably all of the above.

But, as I say often, these days are long, and they’re still a part of their short childhood.

One day, nobody will need to sit in my lap because they don’t feel good. Nobody will need Mom to clean them up after they get sick or bring them something to drink. Nobody will need me quite like they do right now.

So I don’t want to take these days for granted.

But I am also going to be very thankful when the sickness passes.

Both can be true.

I can appreciate being the person they want when they don’t feel good while also desperately wanting everyone in this house to feel good again.

For now, we’ll get through today.

We’ll eat whatever easy meal I can manage.

We’ll do the schoolwork we can get done.

We’ll wash whatever absolutely has to be washed.

We’ll cuddle.

We’ll play.

We’ll watch entirely too much TV.

And everything else can be demoted until tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Whenever everybody feels human again.

Eventually, everyone will feel better. I’ll tackle the laundry baskets. I’ll wash the dishes. We’ll put the toys back where they belong. The TV will eventually turn off.

The house will go back to its normal level of chaos.

And these dreary sick days will be over.

Thank goodness.