DayCare: Pick-Up on a Painful day
Picking up your child from daycare when you're in a lot of pain can feel like an Olympic event, complete with its own set of hurdles. Not only have you just navigated the day yourself in pain, but now comes the hardest stretch to the finish line of bedtime.
Oh… those evening hours of parenting can be rollercoaster ride.
In the Now…
First, take a deep breath—your little one is looking forward to seeing you, and that's the most important part! You are their whole world, they can’t wait to tell you everything they’ve learned or can’t wait to snuggle with you if they missed you. They might just want to run in the grass a little before getting in the car to get all their excitement out, after all, they’re learning to regulate their emotions too and daycare is no easy feat either with the rules and routine to follow.
To make the process smoother, consider calling ahead to let the daycare know you might be running a bit behind. Take those few minutes to either self-regulate emotionally or address your pain level to try and knock it down a bit before you enter the evening hours.
Use a comfy backpack or a stylish tote to help distribute the weight of any essentials. What about something with wheels so even they can have fun with the responsibility of helping you take it to the car.
If possible, enlist the help of a friend or family member to make the short journey to pick up your little superstar, or even arrange for a carpool with another parent.
When you walk through those daycare doors, remind yourself that it’s okay to lean on your community; you’re not alone in this wild parenting adventure!
Create a plan for your bad pain days to help manage parenthood and be there for your little one.
Think ahead…
Here are a few nifty strategies to help lighten the load for simplifying dinner and evening routines when chronic pain is in the mix.
Opt for bulk meal prep on good days—cook large batches of meals that can be frozen in individual portions for those tough evenings.
Keep healthy snacks readily available so you can sidestep the fuss of a sit-down dinner when energy is running low.
Involve your little one in the process with simple tasks like washing veggies or stirring sauces; it’s fun for them and takes some pressure off you.
Consider investing in some easy-to-use kitchen gadgets, like a slow cooker or an instant pot, which can do the heavy lifting while you put your feet up for a moment.
Stop at the grocery store and pick something from the deli that ready to eat, simple, and fresh. It will likely be cheaper and healthier than ordering in or fast-food.
Think about your home as a sacred space too, for your and your little one to unwind. Get an aroma diffuser going, rub their little bodies with some lavender calming lotion, play some relaxing or soothing music, even Disney instrumentals isn’t so bad. Get them to play “spa” with you. When all else fails, no one will judge you if you have to put on a new movie to get them to settle. You have to take care of you so that you can be present in the marathon of parenting in the evening.
Deploy any quiet activities like hide & seek (they can’t talk-win!), colouring, puzzles, or flipping through photo albums.
Are there any babysitters around available as needed for 1-2 hours to aid in the evening demands? Perhaps there’s some teenagers around willing to make an extra buck or two. As they enter the workforce, they might need a good reference or a little responsibility to build experience.
Remember, your little family is always cheering you to the finish line, even if you loose sight of it.
As the sun dips below the horizon, parenting during the evening hours can sometimes feel like an obstacle course with invisible landmines. With chronic pain tagging along like an uninvited guest, calming a fussy toddler or navigating a dinner meltdown can morph into a Herculean task. The chaos of dinner prep, bath time, and bedtime stories becomes a delicate balance of endurance and creativity. It's about finding those quirky solutions that work when the energy dips and the pain flares. Maybe it's trading an elaborate meal for a simple snack picnic on the Living Room floor, or turning that lullaby into a silly sing-along to distract from the evening aches. As we weave together support, laughter, and a sprinkle of magic to conquer those nightly challenges, it reminds ourselves that every small victory counts. For even on our tough days, love has a way of shining through the cracks!
