7 Reasons Why (Some) Moms Secretly Like Getting Sick

When the winter months roll in, odds are you’re going to get sick. If you’re lucky, it won’t be the flu but rather just one of those short-lived colds or a 24-hour stomach bug. If this is the case, and you’re a mom, you might almost welcome this brief interruption in your life. While we don’t think anyone enjoys getting very, very sick (we’re looking at you, flu season 2017-18), there are some moms out there who actually (secretly) don’t mind being a little under the weather. The thing is, as moms, we don’t exactly get a whole lot of time off, so getting sick is about as relaxing as it gets. Here are just a few of the reasons why.

1. It allows us to catch up on some much-needed sleep. New moms are sleep deprived because babies only sleep a few hours at a time. Moms of older kids are sleep deprived because they have to handle other things as well, like keeping the house clean and helping with homework. Moms are tired. Illness leaves us with no other choice but to sleep.

2. We can binge our favorite shows guilt-free. Getting to actually sit down for a solid block of an hour or more sans interruptions is a rarity for many moms. Come down with a cold, and you might actually get to binge that entire new season of Black Mirror.

3. Our partners or kids pick up the slack (often without needing to be asked). Even when your partners aren’t the most helpful people on a regular basis, they have no choice but to do more once you’re down and out. And if you have older kids, they might even help take care of you.

4. Our families learn to stop asking us questions 24/7. Moms are often treated as information booths, expected to know where every toy, shoe, and wallet is. When we’re sick, we have a better shot of letting our families know they can figure it out themselves.

5. We can get away with eating all kinds of junk, no questions asked. Pizza? Grilled cheese? Cookies? Pound cake? We can have it all when we’re sick (we can have it all regardless, but more so when we’re sick).

6. We’re off the hook when it comes to cleaning. Sick moms are not going to be getting after the kids to pick up their toys. They aren’t loading and unloading the wash. No, ma’am.

7. We appreciate the heck out of our health afterward so much more. Once we’re done being sick, we realize how nice it is to have energy again. It helps our moods and it helps our relationships. It’s win-win, really.

Hey moms, how do you feel about getting sick these days? Tweet us about it @BritandCo.

(Photo via Getty)