I’m feeling betta

So, I’m feeling better, not all better, but better. I’ve decided to risk going to work. It wouldn’t be such a risk except that I commute 25 miles to get there. If I start feeling ill again, it’s 25 miles to get home too.

Being a single working mother and being sick stinks BIG TIME. I’m a credit counselor which means I have clients and prospective clients that I see. Since I wasn’t there earlier this week, they have decided to reschedule my clients to today and tomorrow. What an incentive to go back to work…lol. This doesn’t include the stack of paperwork I’m sure to have there because no one else can do it (or if they can, they choose not to).

 At home, well, yesterday I (with the help of my mother) did the dishes that have been piling up since I was sick. I didn’t cook all weekend, so it was a good thing there was a ton of leftovers to be eaten, but my sons didn’t wash anything either (at least not until there was nothing left, then they washed only what was needed at the moment). (Yes, this is somewhat of a rant!) I also did a few loads of laundry.

Why is it that whenever I ask one of my sons to do extra that they don’t care to do, you’d think I was pulling their teeth? My youngest did cook supper Monday night and the oldest did make jello and kool-aid and stuff, but to get someone to do the dishes since mom was sick……not a chance (didn’t I make kool-aid…didn’t I cook supper….) Did I go wrong somewhere? I know I could make them do the dishes and such while I’m sick, but frankly, who’s got the fight in them to do it and it kinda takes away from the whole thing if you have to get mean about it. I don’t expect them to WANT to do the dishes, but it would be nice if they’d be WILLING to do them for me when I’m sick.

When they are sick, I do their chores for them because no one wants to clean when they’re sick, nor do they want to look forward to it when they finally get better. How do I teach them to have the same compassion? Evidently not by example. If anyone has any suggestions (and please don’t tell me to just make them do it because that kinda defeats the whole compassion thing) let me know.