What to do when the single mother gets sick
I’m home. There’s something wrong with me and a trip to the doctor’s tomorrow morning will give me a course of action, at least. But it got me thinking… what would I do if I were truly sick, and unable to care for my child?
This is where the posse comes in. Do you have friends? I mean, real friends who would take your child in without making you feel guilty? Do you have family in the area who will come together in an emergency and get you through? I hope you do, single mom.
I also hope that you would help out when one of your friends needed it, no guilt trip or questions asked.
Thankfully, I have both, in close proximity. I have a feeling I’m going to be needing them.
Please learn from my mistakes: It’s all well and good to take care of your child/ren, but you absolutely must take care of yourself, too. Don’t put it off. Get your physical. Work on keeping your weight to a manageable number. Exercise. Don’t eat junk. Go to the dentist.
I’ll let you know how I am when we’ve got a name to put on it all.
Tags: health, network.-help, single-momRelated Stories
POSTED IN: health
11 opinions for What to do when the single mother gets sick
Carrie
Aug 7, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Oooh I hope you get better soon, I know it can be really tough trying to get better AND look after a child. Last year I was really sick, and spent three days vomitting and passed out on the couch - my daughter looked after herself =\
When I finally surfaced, the house was TRASHED! But she had managed to get water (we had the flick taps) and ate all the snack food (there was a saucepan on the stove with noodle crumbs in [the stove couldn’t be turned on] so she had tried to cook her own food also).
I was so impressed by her, I guess the point is your child won’t starve if you are unable to manage due to severe illness… Now if I get sick she strokes my hair and whispers in my ear “shhh s’aright mommy, I so love you.”
Being a single parent is very scary when unexpected things occur, day to day we cope and survive, but sometimes adding something you don’t plan for can show you that it isn’t as bad as it could be…
Anyway, take care, the KoE will love extra cuddles while you are home =)
Liz
Aug 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Good luck and feel better soon. Keep hydrated and turn on a cool mist humidifier if you have one. Max and I are recovering from some head crapola, so I know how it goes.
America
Aug 8, 2007 at 2:32 am
I had a terrible lung infection in the fall, and no health insurance. I was so disappointed in the father of my child who picked up so little of the slack (we have a VERY flexible custody arrangement) that I finally packed my son and I up and went to Mexico for 2.5 weeks so my mommy could take care of me.
It validated why I am single.
Anyway, I know your mom will take good care of you. What would we do without them!
Jennifer
Aug 8, 2007 at 4:04 am
I hope you feel better soon; you should know that this is one of the best new blogs I’ve found in a while… not that that’s a great sick consolation prize. Still, thought you should know. And it does suck to be sick and have a child who wants you to play or read or you know, cook dinner. I really worry what would happen if I got really sick. Especially since my pay depends on me blogging and writing on a daily basis. There are no sick days. And thanks for the reminder to take better care of myself. I say it over and over but always put everything else first.
christina
Aug 8, 2007 at 6:55 am
Carrie, the KoE has been off on another adventure with his grammy. I can’t wait for him to come home, but I dread it, too. I don’t want him to see me like this, nervous and worried and not quite right.
But it will be good to see him again.
Crystal
Aug 8, 2007 at 6:57 am
Feel better soon!! I try not to think about what would happen here. We have no family and my closest friends who I could guarantee would d that live 3hrs away. The last tiem I had a cold we just kind of made do and she seemed to understand I wasn’t feeling well and was very mellow. Course she’s miss independent so she probalby thrives on me not being able to do everything!
christina
Aug 8, 2007 at 6:57 am
America, I’m so glad you could go home. When I was in Dubai I was seriously ill most of the first six months there, with everything I hadn’t got as a kid… strep, pneumonia, you name it. The KoE was only 18 months, but such a sweet little bug. He would stay close to me and pat pat pat me with his little baby hands and whisper to me.
Yes, thank goodness for mothers.
christina
Aug 8, 2007 at 7:00 am
Jennifer, thanks so much. I’m sure you have a backup plan, I usually have two or three posts written against the day when I just don’t want to write… I didn’t have the courage to try to make freelance work when we came back to the US… my city is so expensive, I couldn’t take the change. I admire what you’re doing!
christina
Aug 8, 2007 at 7:02 am
Crystal, it might sound obsessive, but it’s a good idea to have a plan in place. If your salary can afford it, have the emergency nanny service numbers on hand, or get out there and start making friends in your neighborhood! I’m sure there’s someone nearby who would help you out in a pinch. I bet I could ask the neighbors to watch the kid for a couple of hours and he’d be ok… and we haven’t even invited each other over for drinks or anything.
Ike
Aug 8, 2007 at 9:49 am
Christina, I feel for you and hope you feel better soon. Earlier this year, I hurt my back and was in major pain (had tried to move heavy furniture by myself - another thing single moms shouldn’t attempt!). I could barely walk, was hunched over almost in a 90-degree angle, and had to have my 6 year old put on my socks and shoes for me! My parents live 3 miles away and were able to relieve some of the burden while I took care of myself. A support system is vital to single moms! Feel better soon!
Dee
Dec 12, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Hello ladies im a single mother of two small children one is 5yrs and the other is 1 1/2yrs old. I am living with my mother right now but we really don’t get along at all. But regardless she is my mother and she helps me alot. I am considering to relocate out to another state which is 16 hours away from where i’m at now which is where most of my family lives now. Most of my help comes from my mother and brother for help. But they can’t really do much.The other state that i plan to move to i don’t really have any help there either, I have two friends that wouldn’t really mind helping me out sometimes. I don’t like to move away too far but this state is offering me a better life for me and my boys, which is exactly what i need now but at the same time i kind of scared because i know its good to stay close to family because you never know what can happen!
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