Sluffer

My boys think it is so funny when I refer to not going to school or work as sluffin' as in "Did you sluff math today?". Apparently this is a small town Utah, 70s term that shows I grew up in the back woods, way back when. I personally don't care what my boys think about my vernacular. I do however care if they sluff.
For 2 months now my oldest son has given me numerous reasons every morning why today would be a great day for him not to go to work. He still has 2 days of personal leave for this school year and they have been "burning a hole in his pocket"so to say. I am of the opinion that if he is suppose to be at work and he's not on his death bed or doesn't have 2 broken legs he should be there. Well, yesterday he informed me that today was the day he was not going to work. I pointed out all the reasons he should change his mind, but he didn't. I started thinking about him not going to work and why it bothers me when he doesn't go, but if my hubby were to decide to stay home every now and then I wouldn't be nearly as upset. With him it's more of a he has days off, he may as well use them kind of attitude. Is it because I don't feel as responsible for my husband's choices as I do my son's? After all I didn't raise the husband and teach him better than that. After much pondering I finally decided what the difference was. I have spent too many years in the school workplace, often as the person who had to fill in the holes left by other employees who for whatever reason (good or not so good) weren't there to fill the holes themselves. Now, I'm not saying my husband doesn't have an important job. I'm sure he does. However, if he misses a day of work the majority of his work will just wait to be done tomorrow. In a school setting, this isn't always the case. The kids still show up and still need to be taught and someone has to teach them. Recess and bus and lunchroom duties still need to be done and someone has to do them. When my children who work in education, especially the ones who are classified employees and don't usually get covered by a substitiute, sluff work I worry about who is going to have to pick up the slack. Despite my concerns, I guess my children deserve to use there leave just like anyone else and I should just let them use it and be happy.
With that said, I definitely enjoyed going to the temple with my oldest son today. When he sluffs at least he does something worthwhile with his time. His mother must have taught him something.