You know that you have dropped one of the balls (or several) that you have been juggling high in the air when:
1) After doing 6 full assessments on the medical surgical floor, you admit 2 OB patients, labor one of them, deliver her, move to next room, assist delivery again, sit down to chart in a sea of paperwork, glance at the clock and realize that it is 5pm and you forgot to ask someone to pick up your kids from school.
2) Your 12yo son is sick with the virus from the depths of hell, and must stay home from school. You head in to work with the plan of assessing patients, then heading back home, but, well…see #1. Said child spent the whole day in misery alone.
3)Â As an aside, on said day you also forgot to call your in-laws to see how the major carotid artery repair, that FIL was scheduled to have in the morning, turned out. Major repair that included grafts etc. Yes, he is alive and well and I want some of his pain meds to dull my mind a bit more.
3) You arrive at home to find kids bathed, fed and in good spirits. They head into den to watch TV, and you sit across from your husband and tell him all about how you suck as a parent and daughter-in-law. Husband sits silently listening, and after you pull the self inflicted knife out of your chest, he slowly rubs his hands down his face and blurts out “I forgot Mia today”*******Stunned silence***** He continues, “I came home, picked up the boys, took Cody to scouts, and Quinn to soccer, watched the game, then Quinn and I picked up Cody, went home and as I walked in the door my stomach dropped and my mind flashed ‘Hey, where is Mia’. It was 7pm and I had forgotten to pick her up from daycare. I rushed over to Nannies(the kids just call her this..she is not related) house and she said ‘I was so worried, I thought something happened to you’. And I thought, ‘It did…my mind exploded’.”
In other, good news, 12yo had a birthday yesterday, and I did not forget it. Go me!
I hate to say it, but–are you still considering quitting or cutting back to part time? I don’t ask that because of what happened on this day, nor does it mean that I think you’re a bad parent. I ask it because you seem very stressed by having to manage all of this, and I know you’re the kind of mom who wants to be there with her kids as much as possible.
As for forgetting the kids–I’ve done it, too. If you ask around you’ll find that many people have at least once (OK–I’ve got to say it–especially moms of large families!). So don’t beat yourself up about that.
Take care!
I hate sucky days like that!!!
To quote a movie, which name escapes me for the moment…
“I’m tired of this day. I’m going to bed so I can get a new one.”
Oh Boy – nothing will punish you more than your own guilt! I have had many bad parenting moments like those! Thank goodness most of them won’t be remembered!
I got a pit in my stomach just reading that. I am so paranoid about missing my daughter’s bus each day. I watch the clock like a hawk. It’s no wonder you forgot. L & D is so busy and time flies there.
I hope you can take a break from the juggling soon! It sounds like all of you need a quiet break together.
I could tell so many stories about me forgetting things, and it might make you feel better, but I’m happily forgetting the really bad stories.
Ummm, well, I know the feeling. In my case, lack of sleep is not helping. Yesterday, after a shower I was getting dressed in front of the mirror, putting on my bra. Looking at my tired reflection and I realised that I was trying to put on a bra over the bra I had already put on. Obviously, the shower didn’t help my brain.
Hang in there Jody.
Sounds like a bad day, but thankfully nobody is too much the worse for wear. You’ll probably have a laugh about this at some point down the road!
Oh honey what a day. Well I can tell you that I once left my 12 year old at Wal-mart we were almost all the way home when I looked back and realized that I was one child short. She is the quiet child, all the other children were making their presence know–I just forgot her. It was an awful feeling.
Here’s hoping your Thursday is marvelous!!
My entire family forgot my 16th birthday (I reminded them the next day), my folks left me at both church and a park once (for hours; I walked home from the park and caught a bus home from church) and were it not for my sister who emailed Jamie, he (and the other kids) would have forgotten my birthday this year. Shit happens. I still love my folks and Jamie. Well, most days.
Give yourselves huge long hugs.
In the interest of making you feel better, dd once sat at dance for two extra hours until I remembered her. Ooops!
I’m sorry you had a bad day. I hope today is better for you!
OMG! I have to agree you are juggling too many balls right now. Time to re-think that plan eh?
Lots of hugs to you both! I hope it gets easier soon.
{{{Jody}}}