The Entrepreneur Edit · By Angelica Wheaton · Long Beach Moms & The Motherhood Connection

It starts with a cough at 2 a.m.

Not a big one. Just enough to make you lie there, eyes wide open, already running the math. Is that a real cough? Is there a fever? What’s on my calendar tomorrow?

By 6 a.m. you know. Flushed cheeks. Glassy eyes. A little voice: “Mama, I don’t feel good.”

It’s fall, friends. The sniffles are back, the holidays are coming, and our babes are about to be home with us. And whether we run our own companies or work for someone else’s, the work doesn’t stop because the thermometer says 101.

The never-ending list

Here’s what goes through a mom’s head in the first ten minutes:

• Do I call in? Do I use my sick day or PTO for their sick day?
• Wait. Didn’t this just happen last week? Now I’m calling in sick again?
• And what happens when I get sick and really need that time?
• Who’s taking them to the doctor? Then the pharmacy. Then the grocery store for broth and popsicles.
• The other kids? They’re next. Oh great, here we all go again.
• And now I have to cancel everything. The client call I already rescheduled from last week. The playdate, and now that mom is going to think I’m a flake who doesn’t want to hang out with her. And the Long Beach Moms dinner I was actually looking forward to.

That’s the list. It never really ends. It’s the motherhood journey, one thermometer at a time.

For our single moms, it’s three times harder. You’re the nurse, the driver, the pharmacist, and the person who still has to answer that email. And if you get sick too? Usually it’s still you taking care of the babe.

For moms with partners, it varies. Some of us hear, “Don’t get me sick.” Others get, “I’ve got this. Go crush your big meeting.” (If that’s you, hug them tonight.)

The numbers back up what we already feel

I’m a numbers girl, so I went to the sources I trust:

• Moms are still the default sick-day parent. Six in ten working moms say they’re usually the one who stays home with a sick child. For dads, it’s fewer than one in ten. (Kaiser Family Foundation, the national nonprofit health policy research organization)
• Kids catch 6 to 10 colds a year, and up to 12 when there are two or more young kids at home. (National Institutes of Health)
• California guarantees at least five paid sick days (40 hours) a year, and you can use them for a sick child. (Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act)
• Women ages 20 to 30 catch more colds than men, likely because we’re closer to the kids. (National Institutes of Health) Of course we do. We’re the ones getting coughed on at 2 a.m.

Now do the math. Six to ten colds a year, per kid. Five sick days. That’s before you get sick, and before the second kid catches whatever the first one had.

The math doesn’t math. And that’s not a you problem. Some companies offer unlimited PTO (hello, sign me up). Many offer the state minimum. And if you own the business, your PTO is whatever you can carve out without the wheels falling off.

Who’s taking care of us?

This is the question nobody asks out loud. We make the appointments, pick up the prescriptions, and sit up with the coughs. Then we get sick too, and we push through. The research is catching up to what we’ve always known. A 2025 study in JAMA Internal Medicine (JAMA is the Journal of the American Medical Association, one of the most respected medical journals in the world) looked at nearly 200,000 U.S. moms. From 2016 to 2023, the share reporting excellent mental health dropped from 38% to 26%. And moms were nearly twice as likely as dads to report fair or poor mental health.

In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an official advisory on parents’ mental health: 48% of parents say that most days, their stress is completely overwhelming. For adults without kids, it’s 26%. Nearly half of us. Most days. So here’s your reminder: you count too. Drink the water. Eat the soup you made for them. And when you get sick, let yourself be sick.

Motherhood is a journey

Sick days look different at every age. And honestly? Some are kind of sweet.

When they’re babies, a sick day can be a bonding day. Take the nap right next to them. The inbox will still be there.

When they’re toddlers, it’s harder. You basically have to negotiate them onto the couch. But you also get to snuggle up for a marathon of Bluey, Peppa, or my personal favorite, Yo Gabba Gabba. (Seriously, why did they ever end one of the greatest shows on earth?)

When they’re in elementary school, they can tell you what hurts and what will help. Usually it’s ice cream and TV. (Honestly, same. That works for moms of any age.)

Every stage passes. What sticks is that they remember who was there.

So is our career

Our careers are a journey too, and whether our work defines us or not, both are okay.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 25 years. (I started early.) I’m a serial entrepreneur, the founder of Pacific Business Partners, The Motherhood Connection and other brands, and every week I sit with business owners in my Innovator Mastermind who are juggling this exact thing.

Here’s what I’ve learned: one missed meeting has never sunk a business. One rescheduled call has never ended a career. The clients worth keeping understand. The employers worth working for understand. Even returning from maternity leave brings that mix: dread, or a quiet joy at talking to adults who don’t have the baby on the brain 24/7. Both make you human.

Let it go (really)

Don’t sweat the small stuff. How many times did the thing you were panicking about actually turn out fine? Almost every time, right? The canceled plans get rescheduled. The deadline moves. Your babe gets better, and life picks right back up.

The Entrepreneur Edit: your Plan A and Plan B

This is where I put on my business hat. The best time to plan for a sick day is before the 2 a.m. cough.

If you run your own business:

• Have a “sick-day mode.” Decide now what can wait 48 hours. Most things can.
• Keep a reschedule message saved. “My little one is home sick today. Can we move to Thursday?” No long apology needed.
• Name your backup. A team member or trusted peer who can cover a call.
• Protect a little cash cushion. A slow week shouldn’t turn into a scary month.

If you work for someone else:

• Know your numbers. Check your sick leave and PTO before flu season, not during it.
• Talk to your manager early. A quick “Here’s my plan if my kids get sick” builds trust before you need it.
• Line up your village. Plan B is a person, not just a policy.

For everyone:

• Stock the sick-day basket now: thermometer, fever reducer, electrolytes, broth, popsicles.
• Save your pediatrician’s nurse line and a nearby urgent care in your phone today.

We’ve got this together.

Sources

• JAMA Internal Medicine (2025): Trends and Disparities in Maternal Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health, via HealthDay
• ABC News / Good Morning America: New study raises concerns about moms’ mental health
• U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents (2024), key takeaways
• Kaiser Family Foundation: Women’s Health Survey, working parents and sick children
• Common cold facts (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases data)
• California Paid Sick Time fact sheet (A Better Balance)

_____

Angelica Wheaton is a mother, founder, and expert serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience across retail, accounting, marketing, operations, and business strategy. She is the founder of Long Beach Moms and The Motherhood Connection, where she has spent the past 11 years building trusted, community-led platforms that support mothers through every season of life.

Angelica is also the Founder & CEO of Pacific Business Partners, where she helps families and business owners gain clarity, reduce overwhelm, and build sustainable financial and operational systems. Her approach blends structure with compassion—meeting mothers and businesses where they are and helping them move forward with confidence, one step at a time.

Important Disclaimer: All content submitted and published as part of the Expert Series reflects the views, opinions, and professional perspectives of the individual contributor. The Motherhood Connection does not independently verify facts, claims, or professional guidance provided within contributed editorials and is not responsible or liable for the accuracy, completeness, or outcomes related to the content. Contributors are solely responsible for ensuring their information is accurate, ethical, and aligned with their professional standards and any applicable regulations or licensing requirements.