![]() ![]() “For three more months” (I had already completed three months of chemo… yet had to do six in all.) “How long do you have to keep taking the medicine?” They’d ask. ![]() “That’s how we know the medicine is working…” I’d say. “Why are you taking the medicine…” my girls would ask, “if it makes your hair fall out and makes you feel sick?” The fact that I was no longer present at school drop-offs and pick ups, or even at the dinner table at times was unnerving. “Mommy takes care of us, not the other way around…” My daughters struggled with the idea of me being incapacitated at times. That said, being really, really sick, caused all our family routines to go haywire - the universe felt upside-down. ![]() Even if this makes sense on a logical level, it goes against our biology… no matter what, when it comes to survival, we will always seek to put our kids first. Likewise, we are of little use to those we love if we don’t first take care of ourselves. We all know from the in-flight passenger announcements given by the flight attendants at the beginning of each flight that we should secure our own oxygen masks before assisting others. As any parent knows, the only thing worse than being sick (and feeling crappy) is being sick with kids. Last year, my family went through a LOT! I have faced off against serious illnesses before in my 20’s, but never before have I had to deal with an illness as big as cancer while being a parent. I probably don’t need to tell you this, but being a sick parent can really suck! And please reach out if you have ideas or questions to share! #Husband lunch box notes how toStay tuned for more ideas on how to make the transition back to school more smooth for your family. As the new school year approaches I’m getting requests from families about how to soothe back-to-school anxiety for a new generation of littles, and get them excited about the return to school (in SFUSD school starts August 16, 2021!) With big changes coming up this fall, lunch box notes are one way to reassure your little ones and give them something to look forward to each day. It’s pretty miraculous, to watch your kids grow into independent people who can now get themselves up, pack their lunches, and get out the door all on their own. Since I originally wrote this post, my kids have grown from 3rd graders to teenagers. This is especially true for families with littles who have been out of school for months and may be feeling anxiety about being away from home. With kids home so much this past year, it will be a big transition back to school for all families this fall. While the context of going back to school during a pandemic, is very different than parenting with cancer, there are many similar parenting challenges. This post was originally written on December 9, 2014, updated on August 4, 2021. ![]()
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