NASA Will Pay You To Stay in Bed… But You’re a Mom, so…
Overworked moms of the world may have found the opportunity of a lifetime. NASA and the European Space Agency will pay you almost $19,000 to lay in bed for two months.
No joke. If you are a non-smoking woman between the ages of 24-55, you can earn exactly 16,500 euros or about $18,500 to STAY IN BED! (You do need to be fluent in German. I suggest a Rosetta Stone Crash Course, stat!) Scientists are investigating the effects of zero-gravity on the human body. For the study, you’ll remain lying down, your head at a 6-degree incline, for sixty full days. You will eat, sleep, shower, and LIVE in this position. No getting out of bed. Ever.
As a mom of young children, this sounds like heaven. Some days it seems as if I never stop moving. When I do finally go to bed, my sleep is disturbed by my husband’s snoring and our kids crawling into the bed, flinging their limbs over me, as they sleep and I lay awake.
I spent a few hours daydreaming about this opportunity until I realized what it REALLY meant. I’m a mom. I may get to lay down for 60 days but I sure as hell won’t get to relax. Even nineteen grand couldn’t buy someone to do all the tasks a typical mom does in 60 days.
Video: NASA Will PAY You to Stay in Bed
Real-Life Moms on Bed Rest
I asked some of my friends what their experiences were like while they were on “bed rest.” Here’s what they had to say:
” I am incapable of sitting still. It’s not in my DNA, so this was like the ultimate challenge. I got yelled at constantly by my husband for doing anything. I had to shower with an old-lady chair. I wasn’t allowed to cook, clean or lift a finger. But I begged for permission just to take my older daughter to school in the morning as long as I promised to come right back home. My OB even said, “don’t even think about sneaking in a quick trip to Target”. I spent my days binge-watching Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. I did fold a ton of laundry even though I couldn’t put it away; I helped with homework while my daughter sat next to me on the couch and managed to still grocery shop with a little help from Shipt. ” –Rachel from Whine and Cheeze (Its)
” I had to unpack our condo with a broken leg and ankle and a giant kidney, while 6 months pregnant and supposed to be in bed. (Broke my leg and ankle and dislocated my ankle the day before we moved. ??♀️) ” -Brook Nicole Hall
” I’m not technically on bed rest, but I’ve been put on work from home only and have to spend most of the time in bed due to my pregnancy limitations. I’m a single mom, so I have to get really creative with my time. “I’m currently pregnant with my fourth baby, and it’s been the roughest pregnancy by far! Even though my movement is extremely limited, things still have to get done, so I get very creative with completing tasks! We have lots of dinner and movie nights in mommy’s bed, and I fold laundry sitting in a butterfly position while I stretch my back. My cleaning strategies even have to be creative. My shower has seats, so I typically scrub it down while I’m taking one, and I’ve figured out how to do dishes while I sit on one of my dining room chairs.” -Tiffany, Brave Little Mom
“I read to my children every night before they went to bed. I had lunch with them, I did homework with them. It’s a hard time, and it’s work ,to remind yourself how very temporary it is and what a difference it will make in your child’s health, every single day will matter.” -Alexandra
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