When you are a mother of small needy people, there is never a day off.  No matter how crummy you feel.   No matter how much you really just want to crawl under a big blanket and watch mindless television there is someone who wants to watch something else and climb on you, and most likely steal your blanket to make a fort.

And you will lay there on the couch, shivering, watching an episode of Dragon Tales that you can already recite by heart, because at least they are leaving you alone.
But you know what?  Now that I have some older children and we have chores, those little people are much more self sufficient.  Floor needs sweeping after dinner?  Done.  Dishes in the dishwasher?  Done.  Vacuuming the family room?  Done.  Toys picked up and put away?  Done.  All without me having to say a thing.  They know what is expected of them and they behave accordingly.

Not that they are perfect angels who joyfully scrub toilets for fun, far from it.  But they now recognize that there are jobs that need to be done in order for the house to run smoothly.  I think before we had chores, when I did it all myself, they didn’t even realize what needed to be done.   You mean the clothes don’t wash and fold themselves?  The dish fairy doesn’t come and clean the dishes?

So last night when I was feeling under the weather, my children stepped up.  Even going beyond what is normally expected of them.  My 11 yr old went upstairs and got pajamas out for my youngest two children and brought them down to me.  And then when it was time for them to go to bed he offered to read them their bedtime stories.  My 12 yr old cleaned up the kitchen much more thoroughly than he ever does on a normal night.

They were proud of themselves for contributing.
So while mothers may never get a day off for being sick, I have realized that I can now be partially off.    Some of it because of the ages of my children, but most of it because they know what they should do.  And I’d like to think that it has given them a greater awareness of all that I do.