I'm Calling in Sick

The one thing that I miss about being a working girl, with no children? When you were really sick, you could call in sick to work, and lay around on the couch all day, wallowing in self pity and sleeping through the virus from hell.

Being a stay at home mum to a demanding toddler means that even when I feel like I should be finalising my will and setting any affairs in order, I still need to cook, clean, change stinky nappies and on some level, entertain my child.

I started feeling the tickle in my throat on Friday. By Saturday I had a rather sore throat, and when I woke up on Sunday, it was a full blown virus. Sore throat, sore head, achy body, runny nose, and then of course, it triggers my asthma and I'm coughing enough to give me a strain in my back.

For the last 2 days all I have wanted to do is lay in bed and fall asleep to Vin Diesel on the TV (Yum!) But Master A had other plans. See, I was silly enough to decide to finally follow through with my plans of taking Master A's bottle away Friday night. It all sounded so good in my head. He was at day care for the day, would be tired and should make it easier, right?

Wrong.

He went to sleep beautifully, and slept through the night, until waking at 5:30 Saturday morning. He has subsequently woken at 5:30 each morning since. He then likes to throw a tantrum, you know, just in case Mum might give in and open up the bedroom door, bottle in hand. After that he is sooky, and ultra clingy to Mum for the rest of the day. So when I am wanting to simply curl up in bed with my warm doona and hot chocolate, I have my beautiful little boy, at my bedside wanting cuddles, wanting me to come play, anything so that Mummy will hold him and he can latch on like a leech!

I am usually all for cuddles with my boy. I love when he wants to come and sit with me and just snuggle. However when I'm sick, I like to suffer in peace!

I am so embarassed to say that for the last 2 days, Hi 5 and music video clips on the iPad have been my nanny. My poor boy has not got a whole lot of one-on-one play time with Mummy. I have been dragging toys into the bedroom, turning the television on (something I am normally pretty strict on viewing amounts) and hopping into bed to get some rest.

So there it is. I have relied on the television to entertain my Munchkin for the last 2 days. It is certainly not something I am proud of, but I think that it was necessary for my own health and sanity. A happy, healthy Mummy means a happy, healthy Munchkin, right? RIGHT?

Have you ever relied on the television to play "nanny" when you were sick, or needed to get things done?
What do you do when you aren't well and you have a clingy child?