What to do when you have a sick child, can't take off (lkwd)

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Working Women

1 2 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Turquoise

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 2:54 pm

What do you do if you have a sick child and neither you nor dh can take off? We live in Lakewood. Are there any reliable babysitters for an occasion like this?

Learning

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 3:23 pm

amother wrote:

What do you do if you have a sick child and neither you nor dh can take off? We live in Lakewood. Are there any reliable babysitters for an occasion like this?

What is the type of job who doesn’t let you take off?

thunderstorm

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 3:30 pm

I have been in a position of having a sick kid while I worked.
Either DH and I split the day and took turns staying home for a few hours and we worked half a day
Or I worked remotely from home
Or depending on how sick my child was, I took them to my office or DH took them to his office.
Or I didn't go into work at all that day.

amother

Lawngreen

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 3:35 pm

There are babysitters that officially do this. They only take 1 baby for the day. I don’t have any names or numbers but you could try asking around as it def does exist.

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 3:40 pm

Learning wrote:

What is the type of job who doesn’t let you take off?

It’s not a matter of ‘let’. If I had a few client meetings setup for the day - unless I was ill, or dealing with an emergency, I need to show-up.

Having a plan for childcare in case of child illness (for the shortterm), is part of being a working parent.

esuss

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 4:03 pm

I don't live in Lakewood but what I used to do was have a name of a few girls post seminary and would call them to see who was available. Was expensive but worth it - it's part of working expenses. Now they are old enough that most of the time I could leave them by themselves.

amother

Jade

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 4:59 pm

I know there is a babysitter whatsapp group in Lakewood. I don't know how you join, but if you ask around you might find someone who knows.

Learning

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 5:29 pm

amother wrote:

Is there no one hat can replace you for few fats and take orders from you? You need to learn to delegate. You can’t be tied up completely to your job

amother

Violet

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 5:33 pm

If the child is not contagious, are your mom or siblings an option? Or take the child along to work.

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 5:38 pm

Learning wrote:

Is there no one hat can replace you for few fats and take orders from you? You need to learn to delegate. You can’t be tied up completely to your job

Excuse me?

I’m not tied completely to my job, and I have a staff who works for me.

Delegation allows me to do higher value added tasks. I need to do those tasks. That’s my job.

2qtees

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 5:46 pm

pm me. I have ideas for you

OBnursemom

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 5:47 pm

I’ve never figured it out. I work midnights because of that.

mom!

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 8:13 pm

Welcome to the world of working mothers! I am lucky to bH have family locally that can (usually) help me out in a pinch. But there are times when they can't and each time is another story. Hugs OP, but no practical advice. When you find a good solution (other than being a SAHM-a wish!) please let me know!

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 9:10 pm

Learning wrote:

What is the type of job who doesn’t let you take off?

The reality for most jobs in the US is that taking time off for a sick child is difficult if not possible.

In the US, there's no guaranteed sick leave for yourself, and while some citites and states require it the amount of paid sick days required is usually tiny (3 days per year where I live). Even fewer require paid sick days to take care of family members. And even with those laws usually employers with fewer than a certain number of employees are exempt anyway.

So you have to use paid vacation time, if you're lucky enough to have that. Again, not required.

So if you don't have the above or have run out, you can't take off to care for your child and get paid.

Ok, but you can give up your pay for the day, right? Only if your employer let's you. Work retail or in a restaurant? Better find someone to cover your shift or you're not allowed to take off. Even so, your employer may limit the number of excused absences without pay you have and are within their rights to fire you if you go over.

If you ever wonder why people send their kids to school when they're sick, or go to work themselves when sick, there's your answer. If you don't have a good job with plenty of paid time off and understanding bosses, you are out of luck.

amother

Jetblack

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 9:28 pm

You also may have a decent amount of paid leave, but a specific understanding and culture of when it is taken. When dh got his current job, he learned quickly that everyone gets almost a month's leave but nobody takes it all; doing can put you on the layoff list. Likewise, if a client has flown in from Sacramento or London or Tokyo, and you are the point person or the head of that project, it's not so simple not to be there.

Also, in some jobs, you aren't replaceable. A therapist who has a client who disappeared for months and finally got up the guts to come back in may find that if she reschedules that appointment or passes it to someone else, the client's guts will no longer be there.

amother

Crimson

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 11:43 pm

Honestly, I live in Lakewood and this is the reason I stopped working. If you don’t have family here to help you out with sick kids it’s so, so hard. I think the babysitting situation has gotten better after I stopped working. It used to be only until 2:00pm... what was one to do if they had to work till 5???
Op, I’ll be home tomorrow with my chid who has been throwing up all night. I know what it feels like to be stuck in this type of situation. If you want I can pm you to look after your child.

groisamomma

Sun, Dec 16 2018, 11:50 pm

I watched a neighbor of mine struggle with this all the time. When my kids were young, I always used up all my family illness days before he stayed home from kollel but it was a safety net when we needed it. It’s been years since I’ve stayed home with a sick child but my sympathies are with you. I have no idea how people without enough family illness, sick, and personal days do it.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Dec 17 2018, 12:01 am

OBnursemom wrote:

I’ve never figured it out. I work midnights because of that.

When do you sleep???

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Dec 17 2018, 1:55 am

amother wrote:

I would consider this an emergency in that it is last minute that your child is sick and could not be helped. These things happen and thats part of working and being a parent.

OBnursemom

Mon, Dec 17 2018, 5:58 am

amother wrote:

When do you sleep???

After I drop my kids at school. I work 3 12 hour shifts, so I sleep at night the other 4 nights.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next