carynb | The rules our parents make...

When do I stop following the rules my mother laid down when I was a child?

I'm not talking about the big "don't steal things", "don't hit people", and "say please and thank-you" - type rules that are generally accepted as, y'know, proper and civil behaviour. I'm talking the quirky little things that parents do to try to control their kids in some way.

For instance? One big rule in our house, growing up was "if you're too sick to go to school, you're to sick to go outside and play [or visit a friend, or go to choir practice, or anything else fun]".

So here I am at work. My head hurts, my ears hurt, my stomach's queasy, I have no voice - but I'm at work. Why? Because I want to go out to Cambridge to see my guy tonight, and if I don't go to work, I'm not "allowed" to go do something fun. Even if that something is "get to Cambridge, collapse into bed from the sick".

Isn't it weird, the way these rules your parents insist on just define the way you live your life?

Maybe I should just go home...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I agree that you should go home! Break the cycle girl. You can do it!! *we had the same rule in our house, so now when I'm sick, I go to bed and I don't get up until I'm better. Makes for quite a few days off work/school but I think that part is worth it*

**GET BETTER HUGS**

Thanks!

I did just work a couple of hours and then leave. I wish I didn't feel guilty staying home sick. But on Monday, if I'm feeling crappy? I just won't go in...

I think you should go home as well. Besides, by going home and resting, you might start feeling a lot better for the drive to Cambridge. I think our parents had that rule when we were in school so that we wouldn't play hookie from school and still do all the other "fun" things we wanted to.

If you are really sick, being at work isn't helping that. When you get to Cambridge and get some pampering, that will help. Go for it!

Hope you feel better soon!

Yeah, the rule does make sense for cutting down on the possibility of kids playing hookie, doesn't it?
I did leave work after a half-day, and went out to Cambridge for some pampering. Which I got. *g*

I'm feeling a little better today, so hopefully the worst is over.

What a great observation!

I say, send your parents some mental thanks for helping you evolve into a responsible person, then go home and nap/hydrate/etc. before you head to Cambridge, where you *should* go because there you have someone who loves you to take care of you.

It takes awhile to adopt this mindset, but I now never come to work when I'm feeling ill. For me, it's a productivity issue (I'll be paid more than I'm worth that day) and a public health issue (I'll likely just make others sick, too).

I did leave after about a half-day of work. My brain was completely fuzzy, and I knew they weren't getting anything approaching real work out of me, so leaving made a lot of sense. I headed out to Cambridge for sleep, soup, and pampering. *g* All of which helped.

Hopefully, I haven't made anyone else sick.

yep, i get that one. When i was raising the kids tho, i bent it slightly - when it was a sick that was less obvious, then a quiet day was called for - but for stuff that was pretty clear cut and obvious they could have entertainment. I didn't generally let them go out - for a couple of reasons - kids are terrible about doing up their coats, and i was concerned about what others would think to some extent. Terrible to confess that i sometimes parented from that place - but i wanted the schools for example to trust that when i said the kids were ill that they were - and if they were seen going to the store it could put that in doubt.

Y'know, I always assumed that Mom had that rule in place to prevent us from playing hookie, but there was probably a little of this in the mix, too. Everyone on my street had kids who went to my school, a number of them in my grade, and I would imagine questions would be asked if I was seen to be out playing on a day I'd stayed home.

The rules our parents make...

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