Episode 98: Getting Work Done During Endless Sick Days and School Closings
ITUNES | SPOTIFY
Tis the season for illnesses, snow days, days off school, and so many other unexpected reasons for the kids to be home when you need to work. In this episode, I'm sharing what I do from the moment I receive the call (or hear the cough) to still be able to get things done while also navigating having a kid at home (or being sick myself). Listen in for some ideas and to be reminded that you're not alone!
links & resources mentioned in this episode:
-
You are listening to the Life Coach for Working Moms podcast, the show where we are talking about what it actually takes to make life work as a working mom. I'm your host, Katelyn Denning, a full time working mom of three and a certified life and executive coach. I'm so glad you're here and I hope you enjoy this week's episode
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of the podcast. This is episode 98 and, I am bringing back an OG favorite episode for you today because really the theme, the message, the tips are so relevant, so spot on. Still today. And it's something that I know is going to resonate with all of you right now, and it's actually the reason that I am pulling a replay for the podcast this week, and that is surviving endless school closings and sick days and all of the other unexpected stuff that we manage as working parents.
My kids have another Monday off this time, not due to weather. This is a planned PD day for teachers, which by all means I respect and know that they deserve, but it just feels like every Monday my kids are home. And on top of that, I am definitely fighting something. I am not quite sick yet, but I feel it coming and unlike the years where I would push through.
To get more things done. I have learned that my body doesn't like that very much, so I'm taking things a little bit lighter, a little easier today. Hoping that with some rest I will feel much better tomorrow. And of course, hanging with my kids because that's what we do on Mondays around here in the winter.
So all that to say, if you have been navigating illnesses in your family, if you have been navigating Mondays without school like we have, or cold days or snow days, or any other sort of unexpected days off where you are trying to figure out. How do I get the things done still while also managing this curve ball, navigating this curve ball that I wasn't expecting?
This episode is for you.
It's quick, it's to the point, and I promise not only will it have you feeling like you are so not alone in trying to juggle all of the things that you are juggling right now. I hope you'll also walk away with a few tips and ideas how to get through this season. I'm right there with you. I'm sending you a big hug, hoping that you're healthy or that you're healthy again soon. And I can't wait to bring you some new interviews that are coming very soon to the podcast.
So until then, please enjoy.
hey, welcome back to another episode of the podcast and Happy New Year. If you're listening to this in January, as I'm recording this nearly in real time, I am so happy to be back with you. I took last week off. I wasn't planning to, but, We got sick over the holidays. I still have a little bit of the cold with me after a couple of weeks and it's just the gift that keeps on giving.
But I'm so looking forward to getting back to routines and schedules as much as the break is nice and spending time with family and so much together time is a lovely thing. It can also be an exhausting thing and This, was supposed to be my first day back, school for the kids, work for my husband and I, and if you are keeping up with the weather reports, where we are in the Midwest has just been an insane amount of snow for our area.
And so school is closed today and tomorrow and who knows, maybe more the rest of this week. And so it's the perfect time for me to talk with you about how to navigate, how to survive what feels like at this time of year, endless school closings and sick days.
As I was Opening up our 2025 family calendar that hangs on our kitchen wall, I was transferring over all of the no school days, which depending on what your situation looks like, or maybe your daycare, or holidays planned, there are several that come up in January and February where we have a day off in observation of a holiday.
But there are also, for us, so many in service or professional development days. I'm not really sure what they are, but it feels like between January, February, spring break in March, then we head into April, which becomes kind of the downward slide into the end of the school year. We've got Easter, spring sports kickoff.
I'm not sure how many full five day weeks we will have and that's just blows my mind to think about and those are all of the planned days off. It doesn't take into account the snow, the cold, the potential ice storms, the viruses that circle this time of year like it's their full time job to bring us all down.
And when you are working, and have responsibilities, commitments, an employer, or clients, or a business to run, you are now navigating childcare for your kids, and keeping up with what is required of you professionally. And so I want to walk you through. , the steps, you could call them, the process that I go through when we get the call, like we did last night, that school is going to be closed tomorrow.
What I do, what my clients do now that we've worked together to navigate that and make sure that. We're still fulfilling the obligations that we have, that we're still showing up for the things that need to get done, but also taking care of our kids. And I don't know about you, but for mine today, for example, with a snow day,
I still want them to be able to have some fun. And how do I do that when I'm not? I also am required at times to be here at my desk in my office, taking care of work that is important to me. So let's get into it, and I hope that some of these steps either sound familiar to you because it's what you do already and you just want that reinforcement or the reminder that what you're doing is making a difference, it is helping you survive.
And navigate through these school closings and sick days, or perhaps you hear something new, and this is a process, or there are some steps here that you can implement the next time someone wakes up with a cough or a fever or gets sick in the night, or you receive a call that daycare is going to be closed, or the nanny is sick, or that school is closed for inclement weather.
that you now have something that you can do to help yourself through that.
So, of course, it all starts from the moment that you learn the news. It's a call. It's the cough. It's the fever. It's the text message, the email, whatever it is. It's probably all of those things. I think I got a text message. I got an email and I got a phone call from the school last night. They want to make sure they've checked all the boxes.
So it all starts the moment you realize, or you hear the news that today, Or tomorrow is not going to be the day that I thought it was going to be. I'm not going to be taking the kids to school. I'm not going to be going into the office or I am going to be going into the office, but it's going to look very different.
You know, now that what you had planned for the day is not what's actually going to happen. The thing that I tend to do next, and give you full permission to do this as well, is to have your temper tantrum.
Go ahead, complain to your friend, whine to your husband, send a text to somebody, roll your eyes, let out a grunt of frustration, whatever you need to do. I do my best to do this, not in the presence of my kids. If I can help it though, they have surely witnessed one or two groans of frustration. This. Sucks.
This is not what I want to be doing. I do not want to have a sick kid. I do not want to have another snow day. Have your temper tantrum.
After you've had your moment, I usually do something to recalibrate myself. I take a couple of deep breaths, I grab a glass of water, I start to boil some hot water so I can make myself a cup of tea, something that feels a little bit meditative and that just slows down my heart rate a little bit, that brings some evenness back to my breathing So that I can use those executive function skills that I'm going to need here in the next couple of moments, in the next couple of steps.
So from there, I go right to my calendar. I open up my calendar to see what was the plan. Now, hopefully you have planned your week in advance
and it's somewhat fresh, somewhat top of mind that Maybe you've got a couple of really important meetings or calls on the calendar today, that there was a project that you were going to be working on, maybe something toward a deadline, you have a number of patients or clients to see. Look at the calendar, what is actually there, and start to think about options.
Are there items on the calendar that you can just cancel? Are there items that you can reschedule without repercussion? It was interesting knowing that I was going to speak about this today and then having this snow day dropped in our laps. I got to witness both my husband go through this process and myself.
Now, I see clients all over the country and even some international clients as well. So, unlike Those who work in a very local business, not everyone is experiencing a foot of snow on the ground. Like I am, I am coaching clients who had a very normal Monday, maybe some rain, maybe some sunshine. Whereas my husband, whose work is very local, got on every one of his calls, and the first couple of minutes were spent exclaiming about how unbelievable it was the amount of snow that we've gotten over the last 36 hours.
So others are in a similar situation. And I guess I offer that because you never know, maybe your kid is homesick and the person you were scheduled to meet with also has sick kids at home, or just had that virus last week and knows how miserable it is. I understand that every professional environment is different and we don't always have the luxury of sharing what's truly happening at home or behind the curtain, so to speak.
But sometimes, or if it's possible, it may be perfectly fine and not a big deal to ask to reschedule given the circumstances. Maybe you give that other person the permission to also take the day to be a little bit slower with their work or to hang with their kids on a snow day.
What could you cancel? It may not be ideal to cancel or reschedule. I realize that by moving things from today to later in the week or next week, it might mean that Next week is incredibly busy because you're rescheduling so much and it means full days of meetings and calls and appointments. I understand that rescheduling something today to later in the week
might just create another scenario where another kid is sick or the virus still hasn't gotten better and you have to push it again. And that's uncomfortable and it doesn't always feel professional, but it is the reality of what you're working with. And so, look at the calendar, think about what you can cancel, what you can reschedule without too many repercussions.
And then we move into, where do I need help? What is this going to look like for the things that are left on my schedule?
And this is where everyone's situation is going to be so unique in terms of what is available to you, how old your kids are, where you live, what type of support you have. If you have a partner, can the two of you sit down, thinking back to pandemic days where we worked at home with our kids, homeschooling as well.
Can you trade off? Who can cover each other during really critical meetings or calls when you cannot be available to be with the kids? Do you have family support that you can call in? Can you potentially swap? with a friend or a neighbor. That is what we are going to be doing tomorrow with neighbors whose kids are also going to be home from school.
We've already swapped our call schedule with each other and we'll bring their kids here and my kids will go there.
Can you cue up a movie, a video game, whatever your kids like, and just accept that it's going to be a heavy screen day? Can you get on those calls that maybe aren't so mission critical and just let the other person know that you've got kids home and you may have an interruption? Do the best that you can in those situations.
Get creative. Think about nap times. When might your youngest be sleeping and would that be your best opportunity if you were to shift a call during that time? Can you shorten meetings? Can you make them 30 minutes because for 30 minutes you can probably get a couple episodes of Bluey in and be uninterrupted for that time?
Is it the ideal situation? No. We would love to be able to work and focus, give our undivided attention and not be doing two roles at the same time, working and parenting, but that is not the hand you were dealt today. And so with some creativity, what can you do to support the items that actually have to get done?
The next thing I do is shorten my to do list. So yes, if I had a full workday, there are lots of projects, things I would work on, content that I would create, housekeeping that I would do, but that is not my day today. So all of the things that you thought you were going to get to can you look at that list and start to make decisions?
What absolutely is your ride or die, must get done today? And then what can get moved to perhaps later in the week? What are the things that are going to require full attention without interruptions? Are those really the things that you should be trying to work on today, or would today be better suited to those tasks that you can do from the couch or the kitchen counter while your kids are playing with Play Doh next to you or eating a snack?
And what are the things that maybe do require focused attention, but you just don't have the time with the kids at home? And so maybe those are the things that you put on your list to do after they go to bed. Again, not the ideal scenario. I'm a big advocate and coach so many of my clients through reducing the evenings when they log back on to do work, but in cases like this, it is an option. And my recommendation is to know exactly what it is that you want or need to get done during that post bedtime work session. Don't just sit down at 8 or 9 p. m., whatever the time is, open up your laptop and Quote unquote work, have a project, have a task.
What is it that you want to have completed in that hour or two or three hours that you're going to put in? If you're going to commit that time in the evening to work, make it very focused and be very clear on what it is that you're doing.
I like to then create an updated plan for the day. So I don't want to go through my snow day or sick day or no school or daycare day with the kids looking at the list, the schedule, the plan that I had created thinking that it was going to be a normal day. I want to see an updated plan that is just. The items that I actually have to do.
I'm going to do these two client sessions today. And here's what my kids are doing during that time. And if I'm able to get some work done at the table or the counter or the couch alongside of them, these are the things that I'll work on. But if not, I can log back on at eight o'clock tonight, just to wrap up this one project that does actually need to get done today.
And then I give myself permission. To lean into the day that is now in front of me. When it's a sick day, I have a book and I sit on the couch with my sick child and I read. While they watch movies or doze or nap and I administer medication, take care of them, whatever they need. That is my focus for the day.
On a snow day like today, yes, I'm getting some work done. My kids are slightly older now, that's a little bit easier to do in ways that it wasn't easy when they were young. And so again, when they were young, it was about in those gaps between the calls that I actually had to attend, going outside with them.
Mm hmm. putting on my boots and my snow pants and embracing this weather that we don't get very often. This morning I baked pumpkin bread. Is that what I would normally do on a Monday morning? No, I would be at my desk working. But in between sending some updates to clients, taking care of some administrative stuff, I baked pumpkin bread because, I don't know, it felt like something One does on a snow day.
And so maybe it's not the day that you had pictured for yourself, but it is the day that you have.
And by reducing the items on your to do list, by being really discerning about the meetings or the calls or the appointments that you have to take, what can you do? that gives a nod to what this day is now about.
The last thing I do after I create that updated plan for the day with what's actually going to get done and what my focus is for the day, I, if I can, Even if it's later than I normally would, I still get dressed and ready for the day, as if I am working. I feed myself, my normal breakfast, I make my tea, and maybe I wear something a little bit more comfortable than I normally would, but I am dressed and ready for the day.
Even if my day consists largely of playing in the snow or sitting on the couch with a sick child. I do all of those things to wake myself up, to differentiate that today is still another day, and I'm going to get ready, and then I follow my new plan, and I take it one day at a time.
As I was preparing to share this topic with you today, I was looking back through some old posts, and two things came to my attention as I was doing a little bit of this research. I first posted this plan for unexpected sick and snow days At the end of January of last year, when I had a sick five year old at home with me unexpectedly.
And in reading my notes, I did all of the things that I am recommending to you today. I had my temper tantrum. I rescheduled some client sessions. I reduced my to do list, and then I sat on the couch with him. Did a little bit of work, but also read my book. We played games. We watched a movie. And No, I was not very productive that day.
I didn't get work or projects done the way I'm sure I had anticipated. And also, I am not feeling, a year later, the effects of having a day where I wasn't able to work. Where I wasn't able to be as productive as I normally would be. And I share that because in the moment, it can feel like a huge loss.
It can feel like a big hit to your calendar, to your expectations of yourself, of what you were going to do today, of how the day was going to go.
But in hindsight, it is just a day. Those things that were absolutely mission critical still got done. I'm sure they did. And everything else Probably got done too. It just got done on a slightly different timeline.
our school called about an hour ago.
To announce that they will be closing again tomorrow for inclement weather. And I am going to go through all of the steps in this process. As soon as I'm done recording this episode, I'm going to have a little temper tantrum. I'm going to look at my calendar. I'm going to get creative with rescheduling and getting support by swapping with our friends and neighbors.
So our kids can play together at different houses throughout the day. I'm gonna shorten my to do list and I'm gonna rewrite a condensed plan for tomorrow. And tomorrow I'm gonna get up and get myself ready. I'm gonna take a little walk if I can, or on my walking pad if I need to, if I can't get through the snow outside.
And I'm gonna get through that day. And perhaps school will be closed on Wednesday as well. And I will get through that day too. And I'm gonna remind myself That in the bigger picture of life, when I look back on these few days, I'm not going to remember all of the things that I didn't do. Because in reality, I'm still doing a lot.
I'm moving the most important things forward. I'm hitting my minimum requirements. I'm still seeing my clients where I can and trusting that they will be understanding where I can't. And I am taking it one day at a time.
If you are in the thick of this season as well with illnesses and school closures or inclement weather, and all of the unexpected things that come with parenting and working during this season of life, I am right there with you. We are all right there with you. And I want to remind you that you are doing it.
And if you would like to go through this season. With a coach who truly, truly understands what it's like, who can teach you the skills and give you the tools to create. a realistic plan for your days, for your time, and provide you with the accountability to still move the things that are most important to you forward.
I would love to support you in 2025. There are a number of ways that we can work together. Right now, I am starting to enroll for a small group coaching program for working moms that will start Later this month, once we've somewhat recovered from the holidays and the winter break and some of these inclement weather days, and we will journey together over 12 weeks, making progress towards your goals, creating a realistic and exciting plan, and then Giving you the skills, the tools, and the accountability to make steady progress toward what it is that you want.
Whether that's more time to take care of yourself, more presence with your kids, a more connected relationship, better boundaries at work, or even a new job or career path for you this year. It all starts with looking at your time, creating a plan, and taking action to get there.
If you're curious, if you'd like to learn more, I'd love to share all of the details with you. And you can do that or express your interest over on my website by filling out a quick form. It's at themothernurture. com forward slash interest. interest. As always, I'll have notes and links and everything from the podcast over on the podcast show notes, which you can find at the mother nurture.
com forward slash podcast. All right, I will talk with you in the next episode. Until then, take care, be well. Happy New Year.
If you enjoyed this episode, you won’t want to miss what’s coming next! Make sure you hit the subscribe button to tune into future episodes.
If you love the Life Coach for Working Moms Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d rate and review it on iTunes! Simply scroll down, tap to give it a five star rating, then tap “Write a Review.” Your rating and review will help more busy working moms discover helpful episodes each week!
