Today we have an outbreak of manbola. Streaming cold, coughing, sneezing, sore throat …. just didn’t want to get out of bed. I have to admit I am a …….

The dog walk must have been some sight. Gloves, 2 T-shirt’s, Fleece, Jumper, body warmer, waterproof and woolly hat. And that was just the dog.

It’s one of the big downsides of being a single parent. Whatever the relative severity of the manbola – you don’t have the option to not get out of bed or just sit in a chair with a hot water bottle. No one to share the workload. So you just have to get on with your jobs while croaking out conversations with our son. Powered by hot ginger drinks and tea. It’s days like this you want to drop your caffeine ban.

It also gives you plenty of worries. It emphasises that many single parents (and a number of parenting couples) often operate without having an option b in place. If something serious happens to a parent(s) what happens to the kids. It’s a sobering thought.

I am an amateur at these things. So many parents have had much worse situations to deal with for so many more years. I have so so much respect and admiration to you heroes. So we battle on. In the scheme of things manbola isn’t that bad really.

AND one definite plus of manbola is that you just can’t smell the cat litter when you change it….

80 thoughts on “Cold”

  9. I’m sorry I can’t help you bear this weight. But for what it’s worth, your son’s old enough now to at least do some things himself. Heaven help me when the boys think they can use the stove to cook supper for themselves…

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  10. “And that was just the dog” made me smile! 🙂

    Waitaminniiiiit… i’m supposed to be helping cheer YOU up! 😉

    CHEER UP YOU WUSS!!

    Seriously tho’… keep warm and stay hydrated, look after yourself as best you can and check with the chemist to see what the latest miracle cure is to keep you functioning when you can’t dive into bed like any sane person would do.

    Listen to Mother! 😉

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  11. Poor guy! I agree with you on the sickness thing. I feel so poor and picked on, then realize I’m insanely lucky to have someone else go to work AND who has a job that he can take time off from if I fall down an elevator shaft or something.

    I don’t think the laundry would ever get done, but at least he’s there.

    I hope you get well soon!

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  15. Yes, I remember crawling out of bed muttering ‘F*** F*** F*** all the way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and get the little darlings off to school before collapsing in a self-pitying heap. Oh, what fun it was.

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  18. I did that for years after my divorce. It’s hard to not be able to get up and cook for your kids. Luckily my son could make a mean sammich as long as I had peanut butter and jelly….

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  22. The advantages of manbola – not smelling cat litter – there is positive thinking for you.
    Manbola on your own must be tedious.
    But it’s days like these that coffee was invented for, so it’s ok to break the caffeine ban temporarily.
    Lots of fluids whatever you do…and as much rest as possible – which might not be much in your case.
    Get well soon 🙂

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  23. Pingback: Cold – A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. – International Badass Activists

  26. It’s so hard when the little ones are sick and you have to handle it alone, then you get sick and it’s a whole different level ❤️ hope you are feeling better!

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