The truth is, I was blessed genetically with pretty decent health. I don’t have major aches and pains and illnesses to complain of and my immune system is strong enough to fend off most of the things that come my way. This fortunate reality works well with my other fortunate reality—life as a single mom. I tend to get lulled into a false sense of security, however, and when I do get sick—it makes me feel even more grateful that it doesn’t happen very often!
The onset of yesterday’s cold was the first such virus I have had in over 2 and a half years! I was getting pretty smug about “not getting sick” despite sick kids, coworkers, friends, etc. I even went through some pretty rough times in the past year or two and thought if I was going to get some dreadful sickness, it would be then—not now when everything seems to be pretty normal. So, the single mom got sick and I’m sure I can commiserate with single parents everywhere when I say that illness and single parenting do NOT go well together.
The reality of my working life is that if I don’t work, I don’t get paid—and as the solo wage-earner in our little family scene, no money means the bills don’t get paid and people don’t eat—so taking an entire day or days away from work just isn’t an option. Instead, I take advantage of some flexibility and work as much as I can in the morning, falling into bed in the late afternoon—after all the kids are off school and I know where they are and what they are up to. Fortunately, my kids are old enough to feed themselves, but I still put out a tray of cheeses, deli meats, and breads for supper—assigning them the duty of cleaning up.
Even if a single parent can’t just collapse and let him or herself recover from an illness, you can get as much rest and take things as easy as possible. Let the unimportant stuff go (I didn’t even gather the mail yesterday and the laundry could wait), and focus on taking care of the absolutes. Let the kids help where they can and know that it is all temporary—you can get through a couple days without being at the very top of your game. Accept and ask for help, or at least let someone outside your family know that you are ill in case you need someone. Keep in mind that if you don’t take some time to rest and recuperate, you might get sicker and then things could really fall apart!
Also: No Sick Days for the Single Parent
Coping With Holiday and Vacation Illnesses