Last week was a mess. I was scheduled to work from bed while entering the second week of recovery from my hysterectomy. But childcare got scrambled, Adam had to return to work (plus make up for missed days), and the kids and I had to keep a distance from the grandparents until wearisome viruses passed. My bed stayed empty every day, and my deadlines were missed and pushed.
Whenever I post that I ditched work to be with my kids, I always get the same well-intended comments.
“You won’t regret it.”
“Savor every day!”
“Good for you. They’re only little once.”
I don’t disagree with these “treasure the moments!” sentiments. Even with children who are just 2 and 7 years old, I feel the immensely precious time sneaking away from me. But it also seems like there is an unuttered implication that folks who don’t ditch work to be with their kids are doing it all wrong.
Of course loving guardianship is crucial for little ones. But so is food. So is a home. So are clothes. So is early childhood care. So is safe transportation. So is medical access. So is a healthy planet. So are a zillion other things. And all of those things require resources. And for most of us, those resources depend on us showing up for paying jobs. (Adam didn’t ditch work for the kids last week. But he did ensure that they have health insurance by clocking in.)
Because I work for myself and from home, I sometimes abruptly clear my schedule when life unfolds in unplanned ways. Then I grimace at my audacity.
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