What do you do when your child is sick

amother

Olive

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 6:48 am

I accepted a job for September. I have two children. Do you have a plan for when your child is sick. Who steps in or do you take off?

amother

Black

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 10:18 am

It's extremely frustrating.

When I worked out of the house, I usually took off for younger children. For an older child, if they were ok-ish, I would bring them in to work with me (boss was ok with this and I had my own office). Now that I work from home, I'm already home but it's still frustrating because it's difficult to get work done.

Some people split with dh. Some people have relatives who are home who don't mind to watch a sick child.

No easy answer.

amother

Amber

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 10:36 am

We take it day by day and do the best we can.
If a child comes home out of sorts we take them to the doctor that evening and if they need medicine we start right away. Doctor says 2 doses of antibiotics before going back to school so if the child is doing better we send to school next day.
If a child needs to stay home either me, dh, MIL (we all work but based on what's going on) will take off or if we have our lady that day I'll ask her to take care of the child.
It's not easy but bh we make it work!
I try not to dwell on it as an issue and take it day by day instead and that way it is bh able to work each time.

amother

Olive

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 11:01 am

amother wrote:

My husband can not take off. I don't have family here. Interesting idea about asking cleaning lady to watch child.

amother

Ruby

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 11:09 am

My husband or I will stay home, unless a grandparent is available. Usually it's my husband who takes off.

My employer also subscribes to an emergency childcare service where you pay a "copay" and a babysitter is deployed from a service. I would not trust a random stranger if I needed to be away from home, but I could see myself using it while working from home if necessary.

My husband and I both have a fair amount of flexibility. Not every day, but most days. I know not everyone has the same.

amother

Orchid

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 1:41 pm

My work is flexible about working from home in such a situation (I have been here 3+ years and the work lends itself to being able to be done from home). We also have sick days (5 a year) and I have used some of them when a kid is sick. We also have a "Bright Horizon" backup daycare in our building which I have never used but coworkers have done this (although I wonder if the daycare likes taking sick kids).

Like another poster has said - don't refrain from working on the off chance that your child will be sick.

Also like another poster said - I go to an urgent care place at night if I see my kid is sick and I start them on the medicine right away. So the only times I'll take a sick day is if the kid gets sick in the middle of the night (because then we need to go to the doctor in the morning).

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 4:46 am

Either myself or my husband take off. As I will also be starting a job in september, if my child gets sick at all in the beginning of the school year, my husband will take off. We do have grandparents nearby who love to help with this if they are able.
So, its either a parent or grandparent. Never thought to ask someone else.
You do what you have to do.

justforfun87

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 6:32 am

Line up babysitters who can babysit sick kids. The mom of a friend of mine does this. I have never needed to use her but will check in when I think something is brewing.

amother

Olive

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 6:34 am

justforfun87 wrote:

Line up babysitters who can babysit sick kids. The mom of a friend of mine does this. I have never needed to use her but will check in when I think something is brewing.

Ppl that will come to your house. Or babysitter that babysitts multiple sick kids at a time? How do you go about finding this? Thanks for this!

justforfun87

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 6:42 am

Do you have a local list serve or facebook group? Do you live in a frum area? I would start by posting on those groups looking for a name. If not then you can put the word out for anyone retired who would possibly help you in a pinch? Offering a bit higher per hour would help. Many people for one reason or another are home during the day and would consider babysitting.

amother

Olive

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 7:55 am

essie14 wrote:

When I was a child, my mom had a retired, older woman who stayed with us when we were sick

Thanks both of you. This seems like something I can do.