Working mom's dilemma

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died -- in the middle of a Supreme Court term, in the middle of a wild and woolly presidential campaign, for God's sake -- and so I immediately volunteered to come in to work. Turns out that they don't need me tonight, but my boss asked if any of us would be available to work extra this week. I immediately emailed her that, sure, I'd be available Monday and Tuesday (I was scheduled to work Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday).

That's great news for me -- a fatter paycheck next week (we can really use the money) and it always helps to volunteer to assist during a huge breaking-news story. Or so I thought, until I informed Drew had Rachel what I'd done.

Rachel immediately burst into tears and stomped upstairs, threw herself on her bed and started sobbing. (She's under the weather today; this morning she said her head felt like it's "filled with oatmeal" and her nose is stuffed up; her throat hurts so much she can barely talk and she has been whispering most of the afternoon while she's working on her Science Fair project). "First, you didn't come to my Valentine's Day party, and THEN you're working on President's Day! The people at work get to see you more than I do, and it's NOT FAIR!"

I read something last week about parenting -- that kids don't respond if they're in the middle of a tantrum and you try to reason with them, like saying, "Well, sweetie, we need the money that I'm making, and it helps if I volunteer because then maybe they'll hire me full time, which means we may even afford to buy a house and take nice vacations," they just won't respond. So, I let her sob and get upset, and then I took her into my lap and explained that I know she feels a little cooped up, and nothing feels good when you're sick. Short of telling my boss that, forget it, I can't work those extra days, what would help?

"NOTHING," she insisted.

So, I suggested that I let her sleep with me tonight -- I'll put her in the guest room and crawl in beside her after Daddy and I have had some time along together (hopefully we'll get to watch a movie downstairs). That seemed to comfort her a little. Really, there's not much more I can do.