A Doctor for a Daddy: Call shifts equal Singleparenthood.

Hello Friends,

Being a single parent is hard, even if it's just for one out of every four days (plus the post-call day- which I guess technically equals 2/5 days).

Don't get me wrong, being married to a resident doctor definitely has its advantages (i.e. access to the most up-to-date health care resources, an endless amount of reassurance for the little things, or an informed ally when there's a real issue at hand), but it also has it's disadvantages (long clinic hours that inevitably follow him home, a never-ending reading list in order to keep up-to-date, and my least favourite... crazy call schedules/hours followed by a post-call sleep day).

When you're home alone with a toddler, the day can sometimes drag on. As much as I love watching those Bubbleguppies get up to their latest and greatest shenanigans, there's nothing I enjoy more than looking up at the clock to see that it's almost 6 o'clock. No matter how trying the day has been, a sense of relief rushes over me, knowing that back-up will be making his way through the front door any minute. Unfortunately, when D is on-call, the notion that there is no relief on the way can be overwhelming on the best of days.

K crawling into a baking pan, insisting I put him in the oven with the muffins.
A meltdown ensued following my declining this request. 

However, it's on those, long, hard days that I realize how lucky I am. I can't even begin to express how much respect and admiration I have for all of those single parents out there. For as difficult as it sometimes is to tough it out alone with K, I have the added comfort in knowing that this isn't a permanent situation. My back-up IS coming, even if I have to wait a little longer for him to get home (and then watch him collapse into bed, dead to the world, for the entire day while I fold and put away the 4 loads of laundry I washed and dried yesterday as "entertainment" for K [he likes sorting the clothes and dumping the detergent into the washer]). 

But in all seriousness, D's call schedule has given me a fresh perspective on how we work together as a team and it especially highlights how much we depend on each other to tackle the massive responsibility that is "raising a child". As much as I may dislike D being away for any period of time, I know he is feeling the same (x100). It feels good to know that he trusts me to, not only, be here for K, but maintain the "illusion of" normalcy for our little man (even if I use his call days as an excuse to forgo cooking dinner and instead indulge at the finest Swiss Chalet). I am so thankful to have such a supportive partner and friend.

We want "all the food"

Now, while I've come to this enlightened standpoint regarding D's call-shifts, all this may change come June and I'm outnumbered by my offspring. All I can say is, thank goodness he won't have any more Internal Medicine rotations. 

Until next time friends,

-A

Taking advantage of a call-free weekend last week!