Working moms--a question

[twodogsandababy]

Whats your plan if you child is sent home sick from daycare?

This just happened to me today for the first time. I knew he wasn't feeling well but thought he was just tired from some super busy days. I dropped him off and headed to the office. Less than 10 mins later they called and said he was vomiting. I texted my boss (super casual office) and headed back to get him.

Fridays are our busiest days and we are super slammed right now. H is deployed. Normally my parents (thank God we live near them and they are so willing to help!) help out a lot. So I called my dad at work and told him what happened and he said he had a few things to finish up but would be able to be at my house in a couple hours. I feel awful that I am missing work, but am not really sure there is anything else I can do about it.

[cjeanette]

I have only had it happen 3 times with 2 kids in 7 years. I called my parents to go pick them up. If they were busy I would have. It happens, this is what sick time is for.

[Deleted]

We have no family living near us, so one of us will have to take him home and work from there. More than likely, it will be DH since he's got more sick and vacation days than I do right now.

[Deleted]

I have loads of sick time, while DH is a teacher. So I'm the one "on call" when DS is sick.

MIL works a non- 9 to 5 schedule, so if DS was sick for multiple days, she could probably cover some of it. Or I could call my mom into town if we were in a bind (she's 3.5 hours away, though, so again it only helps in a mult-day illness situation).

[h]

One of us (me or DH) picks them up and then stays home with them. If we are both slammed or having meetings scheduled, we just do our best to juggle things, which often means splitting up the day. We don't have family in town or a back-up nanny, so this is really our only option. It is less of an issue now that the kids are a little older, but when my kids were in their first year of day care, I sometimes went weeks at a time without being able to work a full week because of sick kids. It is so tough.

[8675309]

Before her tonsils were removed at 2yrs old, my DD was sick every 3 weeks with throat infections and had dangerously high temps. One that resulted in a febrile seizure when we was only 12months. My office was on high alert and they were always understanding if I needed to bolt. But I had days where getting away was a nightmare so DH would take some of his sick leave off. I had a perfectly capable and available MIL but didn't want to burden her with taking care of her. *knock on wood* since the surgery she hasnt been sick in 7 months but I'm prepared for whatever happens. Sick babies are the worst. You feel completely helpless sometimes.

[jr009j]

We're really lucky in the sense that DH's schedule is usually pretty flexible (except for when it isn't). If needed, he can often work from home most of the day. If for some reason he has to be in the office, I work from home or take a day off or he can bring her into the office and one of the legal assistants will hang out with her. While that sounds like he's taking advantage of his assistant, she volunteered and has done in the past for others in the office. His office is really informal.

[everam01]

This happens to me a lot with two babies in the same class. When something goes around, it hits both of them and usually not at the same time. Right now DH and I trade days depending upon what's going on at work, but I usually take most of them. I've depleted a lot of sick leave, but we don't have family nearby so I don't have a choice. It's tough.

[karinothing]

I pick him up and take him home. I have a flexible schedule. Daycare is nextdoor to my work, so it is generally me who picks him up if he gets sick at daycare. DH stays home with him if he doesn't end up going in the next day.

We have family nearby but they work, so no go with that.

[atouchofklasse]

One of the two of us would have to leave to get him.

My employer has an amazing sick kid daycare, staffed by nurses, and FREE. I can take him there as long as they have room to take him, 6am-6pm. I feel very lucky.

[kittycatlove]

Depending whoever's schedule is better for taking the day off that day, DH and I switch it up. We do have my mom in a pinch if we need her though.

[anna7602]

I was and am SOL whenever DD is sick. I specifically remember having a pretty terrible argument with DH one night after I'd been home with her for 3 days straight and needed him to take off the following day. He couldn't. I tried to do as much as I could when she was sleeping and gave up a lot of sleep of my own that round. It sucked.

[Deleted]

I take my son to sick daycare when he is sick and I go bakc to work. I am very busy and no one is there to cover my work when I am out

[my4girls]

one of us takes off or my mom can watch them too, she and my dad own their own company so she can easily stay home if needed. I have only had to ask her to do that once I think. both DH and my works are very flexible and accomodating. heck, I could bring one of them in here and put them in the spare office if I absolutely HAD to be here. I can also dial in from home and do 90% of my work from there

[Ashley&Scott]

I am usually the one to go get him, it's happened a few times so far. (DH's job isn't very flexible & "unplanned" absences count against him.)

[mie]

My H is blind so Iʻm the one who will pick up the sick child. Depending on whoʻs busier, he might be the one to leave work so Iʻll pick him up and drop them off at home.

[mrssandro]

DH is usually the one who goes to get her. He will stay home with her the first day and we will take turns until she gets better. I can work from home when she is sick. My boss is awesome when it comes to kids. I just don't take advantage of it and he knows he can count on me to still do my job responsibilities.

[Deleted]

We have a few options. If I can leave, I do. I usually do leave.

If I can't, sometimes (rarely) H can. If neither of us can, we'll call a set of grandparents.

[ohgillian]

Either DH or I goes to get him. DH is permitted to work from home, so it's often DH.

[rootbeerfloat]

Either H or I will pick them up, depending on who's busier that day.

[fortmyersbride]

Neither DH nor I can leave work without affecting patient care (surgeries delayed or cancelled) which is part of why we have gone the nanny route. We pretty much expect the nanny to come to work when the kids are sick, even contagious, and to only take sick days when too sick to work. In the past, if the nanny was too sick then we had to call an alternate sitter. Now we have family in town so that will help.

[Here]

I pick up and watch her. If I am busy, I take work home and claim some of the hours as worked. I p have called into meetings before.
If I am swamped in things I can't get out of, h can pick up. His job can be done at home so he can watch her.
If we are both swamped, the ILs can watch her. They did that recently...swapped out mid day too.

[fakejew]

We take off.

we had a backup baby sitter for a while but we ended up not liking her.

So we just take off.

It sucks b/c when kiddo first started daycare of course he was getting sick ALL the time so I was taking off ALL the time.

[galaxy8227]

Most often my MIL is home--she watches some of Ds's cousins on somedays so he can go there or I will take the day off if he's really sick. I have more flexability and sick time than DH so it's easier for me to take off if I have to.

[Deleted]

H handles it. I'm a teacher and have zero flexibility. H gets her or he calls a family member to get her if he has a meeting. I don't find out until after school.

[hannamaren]

This is why we are paying more for a nanny. If she is a little sick, the nanny can look after her. Neither H nor I can leave our jobs too often.

[Ashley&Scott]

Hanna- what will you do if the nanny gets sick?

[Redpoppy]

I usually end up getting him because my schedule is more flexible. If DH is free though he goes because he has 10x the sick time banked that I do. Work is understanding though. It happens. Depending on how DS is I will try and get a half or full day in working from home with him there.

[GailGoldie]

my dh and i swap days taking off... depending on who is busier that day, etc.

my mom and sister have helped now and then- but I would never ask them for vomit b/c NOBODY wants the stomach bug and i'd feel horrible if someone got it from watching my kid.

we save vacation days JUST to use for sick days with the kids - we don't take many vacation days for actual vacation at all.

[dcrunnergirl]

This has only happened once in nearly 2 years of daycare, and I went and got her. DH and I have somewhat flexible jobs where we can both leave if needed. If we couldn't leave, DH's parents could get them, or we could get them and drive them to the IL's house for the rest of the day and go back to work.