Questionable Priorities

Today at daycare drop-off my kids were dawdling, procrastinating and being silly.  Even though it takes 2 minutes to get from home to daycare, it often takes us 10 minutes to get from the parking lot to their rooms.  It's a silly little habit we all have.  We look at the baby chicks in the lobby (yes real chicks) we look at the "library" for the book we want to take home and we say hi to all the teachers in our path.  Yes, I often have two thousand steps before I even walk into my building (7:30 am).

Well, this morning a mommy kind of blew passed us.  It wasn't in a rude way, but an urgent one.  I've been there, I know.  We quickly discovered that her daughter was sick and she was swooping in to save the day.  She did the typical Mom thing - picked her up high in her arms and brushed her hair with her fingers.  The girl was mumbling something, but I couldn't hear.  The mom had no time for more pleasantries, she rushed out to take her baby 3 year old home.  Not a great start to the day, but we have all been there.

From our hospital stay earlier
this year

After she left I asked the teacher what happened. She said the poor thing got sick on the way to school (puke in the car sick).  The father dropped her off anyways saying he "couldn't wait for the mom to get here".  He had to get to work.  She even mentioned he was complaining about the puke in his car.

Aghast, I sighed.

At what point does work and our schedules trump our kids' health?  When does getting to work become more important than giving our kids a hug when they are puking? When do we let work stress seep in so much that we admonish our kids for natural body functions?

 I know the answer is never.  I knew that as soon as I had the conversation today.  How dare that dad.  That poor little thing.

Yet, I have made some questionable decisions this year myself.  When my kids were sick I was not always the first to take a day off from work - I asked my moms to do it.  The time John puked as soon as he went to daycare - I first walked into my building and left plans.

Questionable decisions based on priorities that sometimes get out of whack.

I am always working on balance in my life and I think it's harder when you're a teacher.  It's not necessarily conference calls and meetings that I miss out on, it's 150 kids that depend on me.  Yet, my own kids have only one mom - I am her and I need them to know I will always be there.

As I approach summer I am glad that I won't have to make these decisions.  If my kid wakes up in the middle of the night with a fever, I won't worry about how I'll make the morning work - it will just work.  If I need to make a doctor's appointment I can make it for what's good for my kid, not what's good with my 7:30-2:30 schedule.  If nothing else the hustle and bustle that defines my life is gone - literally a thing of the past (for two months).

Time to get my priorities in order.

Easy living from here on out.  That way Lucy!