At 2am this morning I heard number one son whimpering like a wounded little kitten. I teetered into his room, felt his fevered brow, poured calpol down his neck and promised him he would be better soon.
Sleep took hold of my body once again. What felt like five minutes later (but was in fact 2.5hours later) I heard the wretching, I jumped from my slumber only to realise the noise was coming from number one daughters room, not number one sons. As I held her hair back, my working mind starting whirring.
I only work three days a week, I have more time at home than I do in paid employment but you can bet your life on what days the children are struck down.
By six am I had decided that as Erin goes to grandads on a Monday, Dyl could go with her. He hasn’t been sick so I didn’t need to worry about spreading the bug to grandparents and my nephew. Chloe had been sick, she is almost thirteen. We leave her at home during the day so I thought a duvet day would be fine if she wasn’t in pain.
I left her looking a little perkier – or at least I convinced myself she did. However by 9.30 I had had the first text she had been ick again. How that working mummy guilt sliced through me. When the second text came I was in two minds my heart wanted to be with my girl, I had spoken to her numerous times and she reassured me she was feeling fine now. But still I felt that I should be sitting with her.
It’s such a balance being a working mum. I have only been back at work 8 weeks after having a year off to look after Erin. I feel crap tonight. Crap that my eldest was being sick without me holding her hair. But I feel that I have so much to prove at work. I wrote yesterday that I feel my children need me more as they get older yet tonight I feel I failed her. It’s one thing leaving her at home when I pop to the shops or I have inset. It’s another leaving her when poorly. I’m now not sure I’d do it again. The irony is that as a teacher we send children home for 48 hours after being sick but as a mother I am expected to manage my own children but still be in school to teach.
At what age would you leave a child at home?
