No lie, it was not easy to make sure that my little boys (ages 5.5 and almost 3) were covered during that most critical first week of recovery. It helped for me to write a detailed schedule for the 10 days following surgery so I could see exactly where I needed help (getting the kids ready for school, school drop-off and pick-up, birthday parties, sports games). I posted a copy of the schedule in the kitchen. I had my husband, whose workplace is 90 minutes away, work from home that first week. He got the kids ready for school everyday and also helped take the kids to school and pick them up. I also arranged with some of my Mommy friends to help shuttle my kids around. Finally, I hired my regular sitter to come everyday to help once the kids were home from school. My boys are pretty rambunctious, so it was really important to have someone playing with them- otherwise they would have been all over me and I would not have been able to rest. Finally, I made sure all food shopping was done a few days before surgery and gladly accepted friends' offers to bring over dinners!