I’m Calling in Mom, taking a Mom Day.

Mary Tyler Son now hates Tuesdays.  Tuesdays are the day he goes to be with his “Auntie,” a/k/a babysitter.  It wasn’t always this way.  Why, I remember a time in the not too distant past where Mary Tyler Son barely batted an eyelash when I went off to the salt mines.  Not so much anymore and it’s wreaking havoc on me.

The past couple months, Tuesday morning rolls around and Mary Tyler Son starts to fuss a bit and says, “But I don’t want to go to Auntie’s.  I want it to be a Mommy and Daddy day.”  All the while looking at me with his big, baleful eyes.  Ouch.  Last week, returning from vacation, ten whole days of fun and sun with Mommy and Daddy, Mary Tyler Son threw an honest to goodness old school tantrum when it was time to go.  Mr. Mary Tyler Mom is who deposits the kiddo to Auntie’s, so I missed the worst of it, and by the time I picked him up at 5pm, he is sweetness and light.  Same for Wednesday.  Tantrums turn to happiness. 

This morning, Mary Tyler Son showed no signs of distress.  He played, I played, Daddy played.  He dressed, I dressed, Daddy dressed.  We asked if he wanted breakfast here or at Auntie’s and he giggled that he would eat M and Ms at Auntie M’s.  Clever is Mary Tyler Son.  And then the tantrum started.  From some deep, primordial place in his psyche, Mary Tyler Son realized I was off to the salt mines, Daddy was off to his salt mine, and he was off to Auntie’s.  As fierce and quick as yesterday’s storm, Mary Tyler Son’s tantrum erupted.  Word, people.  This was hard core.

Never before has a child of mine clutched at my neck screaming in my ear, begging me not to leave.  My dear daughter went through 31 months of cancer treatment without clutching at my neck, begging me not to leave her.  I don’t know what to do.  I know what I want to do.  I want to call in Mom.  I want to take a Mom Day – – kind of like a sick day, but with cookies and cuddles and playtime. 

If I ruled the world, working parents would get a bank of days to pull from when their kids needed them, when they needed a little extra something to get through their day.  Guilt free, no questions asked, a nice little bank of Mom and Dad days.  Cause days like today suck.  Poor Mary Tyler Son.  Poor Mary Tyler Mom.