When your kids are little, your life revolves around them. If they are sick, the world stops and you take care of it. And everyone understands.
Stressful, yes. But then you are assured by those older and wiser that it won't be this way forever and soon they will be older and it will all get easier.
Those people lie.
It doesn't get easier. Your sick kid still needs you, but you feel guiltier for taking off work. And people tend to roll their eyes when you stay home with a 13 year old.
So tomorrow is my third day of school with students, and I am trying to do my job as a teacher and my job as a parent by scheduling a doctor's appointment after school but before open house. Parker had a very manly bike wreck a couple of days ago, managing to grind several layers of skin off his knee. Of course, I washed it with peroxide. Of course I have tended to it every day since with Neosporin. It's only a skinned knee, right?
Wrong.
It is not healing.
Ironically, the same thing happened to Hillary (even the same knee!) a few years ago and I let it go for quite a while before I broke down and took her to the doctor. It was infected, required a prescription, and healed almost immediately when we finally got the right med. So this time, I vow to head it off before he has to start school on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, our doctor is an hour away. I know, there are those who think I'm too...finicky (to put it kindly) for not using our local quacks. But I've been there, done that, and been given the wrong diagnosis and prescription.
I guess tomorrow will be one of those days where there isn't time for anything to go wrong. And if I so much as stub my toe, the whole carefully planned schedule will come crashing down.
But I will look on the bright side...
At least I have a job. And it could be worse than a skinned knee. And I have health insurance...and a doctor I trust. And my children are still home to mess with my schedule.
For now.
Our Family
3 comments:
fonda, as always you've written out the feelings alot of us as parents have, beautifully. you are so right about the LIES we parents get told. it never gets easier for me, just different. the way i ached for joshua when he was little and someone hurt his feelings never has gone away, in fact its just harder to watch him suffer now because a hug and a kiss doesn't make it all right anymore now that he's older. i want so bad to tell him that all this high school 'angst" will not matter much in a few years. but
right now it's cold comfort i know. he has always been my best buddie so a few years ago i was caught unaware to discover that he was pulling away alittle. as i was wiping the tears of rejection away, i had to remember that it was natural and healthy for him to be discovering his own independance. so i guess i'm just rambling around(shocker)thinking of the time i have left as this senior year starts rolling on. ihave to say this journey with my one and only child has been a joy from the first minute i saw his beautiful face until this very night as i contemplate his beautiful heart. i wouldn't trade one single minute. j.j.
Okay, I was doing so much better. Until, I read your "glob" and JJ's comment.
I hope the schedule runs smoothly for you. All green lights.
Thanks for posting from your heart.
Kimberly
What's 'finicky'? I always thought it was wisdom and excellence coming from you.
I really believe 'your children will rise up and call you blessed'. And so will all your first graders. I already do. MOM
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