To want to take a sick day when I’m not sick

[Charlottestar]

I’m not sick but I AM very tired. Desperate for a day to myself …

would you

Alternative view: it’s not a mental health day day. This isn’t a mental health issue, OP is just tired. Taking positive steps to address this (like dropping any guilt about screen time today and then going to bed at toddler’s bedtime herself) will recharge her and improve her resilience against physical health issues and with dealing with tiredness.

It’s really tough on your own, I feel for you.
Can you afford a teen babysitter in your home? Getting an afternoon off to just not be “on” can really help, and if you’re someone who can nap - catch up on sleep!
You must have childcare as you work?
You must have just had half term. Too late this time, but never feel guilty about using childcare for a day in the holidays if you can afford it, just for a day off.
Won’t help today, but like I already posted - you’re presumably off all weekend? So get an early night when your toddler goes to bed, and don’t feel any guilt at anything you can do for an easy life today / tomorrow.

You do it hun. Look after yourself - put in your oxygen mask - and take a nap in the afternoon. Feel NO guilt. You are worth it xx

Oh my god, this is the best website on earth. Someone actually said THIS!

It is only Saturday, are you talking about pulling a sickie the day after tomorrow? If you know you are going to be exhausted in 2 days time, you need to be working on that not happening, not thinking about extending your weekend.

I don't get paid if I just pull a sickie... SSP doesn't click in unless off ill for a few days. Focuses the mind.

Oh of course take the day- it sounds like it’s rare for you so just do it and enjoy some rest

I'm confused! If you work in a school surely your next day of work is Monday? So why are you planning a day off today, Saturday?
Also, if you get no rest at the weekend because of your toddler, how will that be any different if you have a day off?

He’d be in childcare.

Nope this isn't on. I can't believe so many posters think it is.
Your home life set up is not your employers problem,

Thing with half term is it just gets gobbled with other stuff. So he was in nursery Tuesday and Wednesday and one of those days was a hair appointment, and it did take pretty much the whole day, as travel ate into it. Then Wednesday was dentist, car service, before you know it time to pick them up …

I think I’m just a bit suffocated by always being ON - either at work or with a full on toddler. It’s not forever though.

My best friend was given a sick note from her doctor because of her mental health.

She refused to have the time off because she had "a good work ethic"
A week later she took her own life because she couldn't cope anymore.

Tiredness to the point of exhaustion does no one any good and in my opinion that's a physical illness.

If you think you'll do better at work if you have a day off then why are you debating it 🤷🏻

Not totally true, though. Otherwise people wouldn’t have time off for eg stress.

You said you work in a school so you've just had a week off and only 4 weeks until next long holiday.

Are you GenZ by any chance?

7 weeks to the next holiday for most.

I've just done this at work but I spoke to my boss beforehand and told him how much I was struggling. He's given me 2 days compassionate leave and, because I don't have much unallocated a/l left has converted some of what was booked into parental leave freing up some annual leave, 2 days of which I'm taking next week. Just for me and its well and truly needed.

If you need it, do it and don't fèl guilty.

What would being 'GenZ' have to do with anything?

Exactly. I had five weeks off this year because of stress. Some of it was work related, most of it due to circumstances with DS.

<Googles gen Z>

No 😂

and only four weeks until the next long holiday - what? 7 weeks.

Yanbu

Everyone takes a sick day when they're not 'sick sick' sometimes.

I was going to say go for it…but now I’ve seen you’re a teacher.

You have 13 weeks holidays plus training days plus PPA every week. We’ve just had half term where you had a whole week off.

I do understand that it’s a busy job, however I do think you get much more time off than most other people.

Its the weekend now. Surely that’s enough time to rest?

You'd rather land your colleagues in the shit rather than spend a week going to bed early when your toddler does?

No wonder so many people are quitting teaching.

She didn't say she was a teacher. 12 weeks holiday. Training days are not holidays. Other than that..

You’re right, it’s not forever! I remember the constantly on years… now I’ve got 2 teens and I’d actually quite like them to want a bit more of time 🤣

Whether you need this one day now aside… you need a strategy going forward.
Half term - you could have booked an extra day of childcare. You could reframe a day where your child was in childcare and you had to do nothing more than take a trip to have your hair done as a treat day. Many women would say that was a full on self care day! Actually not me, but at least consider the reframing. Or get a more local cut, use a mobile hairdresser and stop it from being another precious day off chore! Actively create time that feels like it’s “OFF”.

Eh, because I’m wondering about whether to do this and have said I probably won’t? That’s totally the cause of the teaching crisis 🤣

TBF I can’t go to bed much earlier but he does wake early as well which makes me tired, no matter how early I go to bed.

I do get a lot more time off than most people, but my time off is time away from school but it’s not time I can chill and relax in. I’m not trying to complain, it’s just explaining it’s not like I can spend my holidays relaxing!

They really don't. I've never done that and neither has DH.

You can’t just book an extra day of childcare, tbf. I’d struggle to afford it anyway.

Getting hair done is a nice treat, but it turned into a busy day. I think I’m just a bit run down generally. Thursday night I had one of those ‘I have a 24 hour job with no breaks’ feelings that I haven’t had since ds was a newborn.