Yesterday I woke up to a whiny two-year-at 6am after being up all night sick and taking care of a baby. I felt like a truck had hit me. I had a fever and could barely get out of bed. Every muscle in my body hurt. But how do you explain that to a two-year-old? I can’t just call him up and tell him that I’m sick and can’t make it to take care of him today. He is my responsibility every day no matter how I feel. This situation gave me great respect for women who are full-time stay-at-home mothers. They never ever get a day off. They don’t get to call in sick. And there is no end to their jobs. They are expected to be “on” when their kids wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare. They have to comfort their children when they are sick. And they don’t ever get to leave the job at 5pm.
I keep telling my husband that I could never be a stay-at-home mother. Right now I am playing one while I am on maternity leave. But every single day just makes me more appreciative of stay-at-home mothers and the jobs they do every day. I have truly learned how hard the job is.
I have also learned that when someone offers to help you should take them up on it. Yesterday when I could barely move my husband offered to take our son to drop-in daycare. I took him up on it. Last weekend my parents offered to take my son for a night. I took them up on it. My mother –in-law keeps offering to take him for a few hours each week. And I have been taking her up on it. This is perhaps the hardest job on the planet and we all need to accept any help we can.