Today I sent my five year old off to school limping. I hesitated, but know his history of overreacting. I feel like a rotten Momma for not being able to discern whether he is truly in pain or just giving me a show.
I also have my seven year old on the couch complaining of a sore stomach. No fever, but lethargic (and eager to play Wii). I know he complained of a tummy ache last night as well, so I’m keeping him home so as not to make his whole class sick. But I’m wondering…
It’s so hard as Mom when the symptoms are just taking your child’s word for it. You don’t want to distrust them, but you also can remember how it was when you were a kid. The foreboding test anxiety, the girl who picked on you constantly but the teacher never saw it. Maybe it was just being tired of the new routine…so tempting to stay home from school with fake symptoms.
As moms we have the responsibility of sending our kids off to school (or keeping them home for school) to learn, to become who they are meant to be, but we also have the responsibility of making sure they are safe and healthy. Some days this is easier than others.
Many have told me to just go with my gut sometimes. Others have said always send them to school and the nurse will send them home if they’re truly sick, providing they don’t have a temperature. Boy, sometimes I wish my insides as a mom could just settle on one or the other and go on with my own to do list.
Deep down I’m glad I have this decision to make, that I have to discern whether the hurt is real, and that sometimes I have the ache of knowing I can’t fix it. I’m thankful for this family of mine. It’s just that when they hurt…..
This is a very hard part of mothering. Jacob had a cold last week and complained of a sore throat. I urged him to keep going, to practice, to go to his events. Then I got the same cold. The sore throat was like someone had sand papered my vocal chords. I realized that he had felt this way too. And then, of course, I felt mommy guilt. He might be 16, but he is still my boy!
Oh, poor guy! I've done that, too, thinking my boys were just milking it a bit until I caught what they had. In the end I felt better about keeping Cutie Pie home…because the next day I had what he had and it lasted a night and day just like his! They're our boys. We want to mother them!