Not quite malingering
Gary is enjoying being home sick.
Yesterday wasn't the first day he was home. He stayed home once with a migraine, and I think he stayed home one time last semester but he was really sick there isn't any fun in that.
Yesterday he stayed home because he had a terrible cold and a really awful cough. He sounded just horrible. Roland said to him Sunday night, "You really should stay home so you don't infect all your classmates." So he did.
He stayed home and played the heavy metal music channel on cable and surfed the Internet. Last night he said, coughing for emphasis, "I think I might need to stay home one more day."
When you do foster care for older kids you may think that you will miss all the firsts, but there are firsts you never anticipate; ones which are fun because the kids are aware of them as firsts. You get to see that enjoyment and appreciate it again. Seeing a kid walk for the first time is exciting, but it doesn't necessarily make you appreciate the joys of walking (although if it did for you, wonderful).
Seeing a teenager feeling free to stay home and pamper himself because he really shouldn't infect his peers is a great deal of fun.
Remember staying home on those days? When you were just sick enough that your parents told you to do it, but not so sick that you had to spend all day sleeping? Having the house to yourself, watching TV all day, eating whatever you wanted? It is one of the joys of having two parents who work outside the home.
All day by yourself, doing just about anything you want.
Priceless.
Oh that is so cute! Sick days were never that fun when I was a kid. Mom was a SAHM and her philosophy was that if I was ill enough to be home I had to stay in bed. All day. No TV. I think we could play music but that was the extent of the excitment. We could watch TV after the supper hour (because that was when we would normally be allowed to watch TV if we had gone to school!) I have decided I am now officially jealous of Gary! LOL
ReplyDeleteSuch an idyllic scene could not take place in our county as foster children are never allowed to remain home alone.
ReplyDeleteEven if it were allowed, I think I would tend to be like Lee's mom. My motto definitely reads, "if you are too sick to do your schoolwork, then you are also too sick to do anything fun."
Those are precious days! Nothing like a mini vacay for a pick up.
ReplyDeleteCool...I remember doing that even when I..cough, cough...wasn't really sick...I was always a fervent believer of mental health days...I guess I was ahead of my time.
ReplyDeleteEos (google is temperamental again!)
Nice post. I totally agree that there are many firsts even with adopted teens!
ReplyDeleteFA: We had such rules when the kids were younger, but you pretty much have to be home to make them do follow them...especially with teens.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think Gary will abuse this. He had fun yesterday but said today he was really bored. He tried going to MySpace but all his friends were at school, and all there was on TV was Law and Order.