You’ve got a full slate of things to do and many of them are outside when one of the kids suddenly becomes ill. He lies down in bed, but do you still go outside to work in the yard?
That’s the situation facing me now and frankly, I’ll chuck the outside work and leave it go until later. Yes, there’s always the baby monitor if the child is smaller and God knows that I used it. But when the child is sick – even if only sleeping – I’d rather forego the monitor and just stay close. Kids will come to physically need you less and less as they age, and this sick one is a young teen, but there’s still the child’s sense of knowing that he’s not alone. Additionally, if there’s nausea and vomiting involved, I believe that kids do feel better knowing that someone’s there to help. And in the worst case scenario, I’m nearby in the event of a real emergency and can respond immediately. The other aspect is my own peace of mind knowing that I wasn’t unattentive in the event of trouble.
So instead, I’ll take some moments to write and put off the outdoor work until later.