The hard way

The school nurse called me at work. I groaned; she must be used to that reaction. She told me that Sam had come to her in the afternoon saying his stomach hurt. She said he didn't have a fever and seemed to be acting normally but that he'd been there twice and that he wasn't typically a kid who showed up in the office. She put Sam on the line and I asked him how he felt and of course he felt awful, even when I told him that if he came home he'd have to rest, that he wouldn't be able to play or watch TV.

I ended up rearranging both my and Ben's schedule so I could pick him up against my better judgement. He seemed fine, his teacher said he'd been fine all day and he happily rode his bike home. I set him up in his bedroom with a bowl in case he was sick, talked about how sorry I was that he was sick. Mentioned that it was too bad he was sick because there were probably frogs down at the frog pond.

Suddenly he felt great! He wanted to go see the frogs. But no, it's too bad you were sick because even if you're feeling better now we can't go anywhere because it's important to get your rest so you feel better tomorrow and so you don't get even sicker.

I needed earplugs after that.

"You don't know how I feel!" Actually kid, I know you're feeling very angry. But despite that, I know you're not going to go to the frog pond after your miraculous recovery.

I made him stay in his room a bit. I wouldn't let him watch TV. I wouldn't play with him or assist him in his various projects because I was busy doing other work. I wouldn't make paper airplanes with him.

Those earplugs? I really really needed them then.

I was able to escape to go to the dentist. It's odd when going to the dentist seems like a good thing. Ben was able to watch him and by the time I got home he was much calmer.

I hope this lesson will not need to be repeated.