Swinging The Lead

Eleven-year-old son's successful integration into the new secondary school hit a hiccup yesterday when I received a text from his father (it was the kids' weekend with their Dad and he takes them to school on the Monday morning) informing me that son had 'cricked his neck and can hardly move'. I dutifully rang the school to inform them and then waited for an update from ex-husband's household as to son's condition. Eventually I heard from son's stepmum (so confusing all these relatives!) that she'd called the doctor out as he was in so much pain. At this point I bundled the toddler into the car and drove over there to see for myself. At the back of my mind was son's amazing oscar-winning ability to act sick at will.

On arriving there, the doctor had just left and stepmum informed me that son had pulled a muscle in his neck and it would take a couple of weeks to fully subside. Apparently he would need a few days off school and plenty of rest. Despite bowing to the doctor's greater medical knowledge I couldn't help noticing that son, though lying flat on the sofa, was still in full possession of the TV remote and immersed in 'My Name Is Earle'. As I watched he chuckled at the TV. Alarm bells began ringing.

After helping the poor invalid from the sofa and supporting him to my car, I drove the three of us back home and settled son in the lounge with a hot water bottle. The small one was enchanted to have him home with us for the day and pottered about the room. As the day wore on it became gradually clear to me that, in fact, there was very little wrong with him. He was miraculously still able to operate the laptop for example and claimed he can use the PS3 because it demands he sit up straight.

When I used to work, the children had to be dying before I would let them take a day off, however the knowledge that I am at home all day with the small one seems to have affected their immune systems because they claim to be sick far more often these days than they ever used to. Son has been dispatched back to school today on the basis that if he can sit at a desk with a laptop, he can sit at a desk in a classroom.