As a working mom, I’ve taken a few “sick” days to care for one or both of my kids as they work through the latest daycare sickness. Flu, RSV, tummy bug, run of the mill cold, and of course COVID, my kiddos get sick quite often and each time my husband and I try to put together the puzzle that is being a full time working professional and parenting. Figuring out who stays home, who uses a precious PTO or sick day, who has the most understanding supervisor that will grant a work from home request, it all can be quite the challenge. However, what happens when the caregiver is the sick one?
I honestly cannot remember taking a day off of work because I am under the weather. I’ve worked through it ALWAYS. At times that meant I went into the office with a terrible cold or I’ve sat at home muting myself while struggling through a coughing fit while on a Zoom meeting because I can’t shake COVID. Recently though I was humbled when I caught the awful tummy bug my 3 year old brought home. My husband suffered through it at the same time with her a week prior so I thankfully didn’t need to be on mommy duty while I was knocked out. When I say knocked out I am really not exaggerating. I was truly in rough shape.
Even though I knew there was absolutely no way I could go into the office, I still worried about what it would look like to call in sick. I had lots to get done, prepare for various meetings, and check in on staff. After some reflection, I know that the pressure to show up is an internal one, coming from me and me alone. I have the good fortune of having a great boss who wants our team to take the time they need and our organizational culture matches that sentiment.
However, I still can’t get away from the worry of what it looks like to take a sick day or for that matter a day off in general. What is this internal pressure to want to hoard time off? I’ve read recently that more than half of all Americans don’t take advantage of their paid time off policies. This just does not make any sense. What are we doing with this time if not using it to better our situations? Unfortunately, I don’t think I can solve that larger problem but I know I am capable of solving it for myself.
As I think more about this recent bug and further reflect on my absurd attitude and heightened concern about taking a sick day, I now vow to be my own hype woman. I will encourage myself to take the sick day (or just a day off in general). Whether that sick day is for myself to allow my body to heal after illness or to care for my kids, it is time to take the sick day. What else are these days for anyways?
XOXO