Mother's Little Helpers

A little while ago I had a discussion with one of my dear friends. She is a stay-at-home mother of two, much like me. We were discussing how often during the day we want to scream, and how going back to work actually sounds appealing. So how do you keep from going absolutely crazy? You have to be just a wee bit selfish.

I am a woman of many vices. I don't recommend picking up new ones if you don't already have them. However, not the vice itself but the feeling you get from taking five minutes for yourself can do wonders for your mental health. One thing I can't live without is coffee. As soon as I get the kids breakfast in the morning, I go straight to the coffee pot. I probably drink three cups or so throughout the day. It might be false energy, but it keeps me going never the less. When I get my cup of coffee I don't chug it down then go back to doing what I have to do. I sit down with it, either watching TV with the kids or at the table playing around on Facebook. Even if it's only a few minutes, it's a nice little break.

I remember when I worked at a hospital, when I got home it took me awhile to relax before I could go to sleep. I know a lot of people to have to "wind down" before they go to sleep no matter what they're job is. So why should it be any different for moms? We work all day too, we need time to wind down and relax before it's our bedtime. If you are of legal age, you might try one beer or glass of wine. If you aren't old enough or you're not a drinker, try some hot chocolate or for that matter a small piece of chocolate. Give yourself a small reward for making it through the day without going crazy. Notice I say small reward. Don't go drinking a whole fifth of Jack or anything, but allow yourself to have a little moment when you think about yourself. Draw a bath, watch a movie, or read a good book. Anything for a little "you" time.

Moms may not get mental health days, but we can have our little moments.

We Always Knew He Was Special

So for a little while now, my son had what I thought were bug bites all over him. Where we live, to say bug bites aren't uncommon is an understatement. Not getting bit by a mosquito around here is an act of God. The mosquito really should be our state bird. See why I thought he had bug bites? Well sometimes as a mother, you're going to overlook the obvious.

I gave these "bites" a reasonable amount of time to heal up and go away. The problem was, they didn't. What was once just on his face and scalp, now had traveled down his neck and onto his arms and legs. Sigh...time to call the doctor. I usually avoid the doctor at all cost. My kids have to be pretty sick for me to take them to the doctor. I like to give them every chance to heal on their own before I go pumping them full of medication. But some things are warning signs I can't ignore. When five different people ask you if your kid has chicken pox, it's time to talk to the doctor.

The reason I had never given chicken pox a second thought is like most children these days he was vaccinated for the chicken pox virus when he was just over a year old. I knew it was a possibility, but it was such a slight chance...that should have been my first clue. Well, off to the doctor we go. Mind you this kid knows exactly where we were as soon as we pulled in. I know this because he started to scream before I had even parked and screamed until the nurse left the room. This is another reason we avoid the doctor. The doc comes in and looks at him, asks me a few questions, and says, "Well thanks. Now I have to report your kid. He has chickenpox." Super.

After laughing with the doctor about it, and leaving out the back door because they asked me to, I spent a few hours on the phone with people he's been in contact with to let them know "Hey congratulations, you've been exposed to chicken pox. Hope you've had it before." It was a very long, very tiring day.

Leave it to my kid. The doctor informed me the percent of children who still get chicken pox after receiving the vaccine is about 10%. So there you go. He may be one in a million to me, but statistically he's one in 10.

How Tired is Too Tired?

Raise your hand if you're a parent and you're tired. So that's pretty much all of you? Yes, that's what I expected. Of course we're tired. Our kids wake up at stupid o'clock, keep us going non-stop all day, and wake us up in the middle of the night. Add school, grocery shopping, cleaning, work and everything else into the mix and it's amazing we are still standing. Any parent that is tired assumes they're supposed to be. And we are, to a certain extent.
A problem arises when we assume we're so tired because of the kids, when really it's a health issue that needs to be discussed with a health care professional. Just because you're a parent doesn't mean you need to let yourself go unchecked. Your health is just as important as your child's. Who would take care of them if you were so sick that you couldn't? Our co-pays and medical bills may stop us from getting things checked, but in the grand scheme of things, it's worth it to ensure our continued health, for your sake and your child's.
My advice is this: If you are more tired than normal, or if you are extremely tired and have other symptoms of sickness, call your doctor and make an appointment. You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel like something is wrong, you could be right.
Your children need you at full tilt, so make sure you stay that way.