Having a sick kid makes me feel like more of a Mom. Is that weird?

I mean, most of the time, my kids are pretty self-sufficient. They get their own snacks, choose their own sources of entertainment, even Kaitlyn at almost 4 doesn’t really need me to guide her playtime. We keep the playroom TV on Nickelodeon and she knows how to push the power button

Of course, I have to help her on the potty and fix her meals, but the boys can pretty much function on their own. Which, if you ask me, means Chris and I have done a good job of instilling them with confidence to make their own choices and know the rules and limits.

But when one of them gets sick, my instinctual need to parent and provide for them kicks in. Ryan has come down with a cold, it’s not horrible, but he’s coughing and congested, and tired all the time. He got up less than an hour ago and I just looked over and he’s asleep on the couch already. I fetched him his pillow and blanket from his room and he got snuggled in and just conked right out.

And I have to admit, it feels good to be fussing over him. At 13 and 5 foot 8, he’s practically a grown up already. Yet here I am, fetching fresh cups of water and opening more Kleenex packs, dispensing Tylenol and Sudafed and coaxing him to eat a few bites of cereal. Of course I don’t want him to be sick, but it’s nice to be needed.

Is that weird?