DD unwell, had to take a day off, works reaction..

Anyone suggesting a babysitter... how is OP expected to find one on such short notice, AND find one willing to look after a poorly child?? If you hire people with children, you have to expect that at some point those children will become ill and your employee will need to take time off. Totally unprofessional for her to sigh down the phone at you. It's not your fault other people are also off.

Luckily, DH and I work opposite shifts so don't need to take time off if one of our DC is poorly as there's always one of us at home with them. This is one of the reasons we chose those roles/shift patterns.

It’s great that you have a support network. I’ve helped my friends during school holidays, but I have never looked after a sick child—and never will. Keep in mind, I work in a hospital with sick people. I can’t risk my job because of catching another bug from a friend’s child

Not true, that’s just fear talking.. It also depends on what you class as ill and how often your child is ill. My son for example has had one day this year where he was sick ( vomit) and couldn’t go in, but other days when he wasn’t well but was well enough to go in, so I’ve taken one day off in a whole year. By contrast another Mum in the class who doesn’t work has kept her son off 28 days in a year, most of those times he wasn’t that ill so I would have sent him in. It all depends on your point of view and your individual circumstances.

In the circular discussion I’ll say again - organise in advance. The belittling of single parents ability to think further than the moment is surprising.

It is just so hard to work as a single parent💔

Yep and as in ops case that can't happen. Because organising a stranger to look after dc for a day is just not something people will or should be doing.

After a day I’d expect childcare in place. Some kids are sick often with runny noses, tummy bugs etc and for days at a time in the younger years and start of primary.

Someone in my support network. As I did for them. As per my post

whats the limit???

And who, then, will look after your sick child? The main point is that the child is ill—and sickness usually spreads. You might get sick, your child might get sick, and people often carry these bugs into their workplaces.

Yes but there is a limit to time off.

As is their right for a reasonable amount of time. Which in ops case, of possibly 2 days, it falls under

This. No strangers required.

No because I had a support network, as per my post above.
Before employers were as accommodating, they were a big part of being a working parent.
These days people just expect the employer to pick up the problem.

or just make use of your statutory rights and look after your ill child yourself on the rare occasion

Exactly. If they were of an age where they could sit in front of the TV etc. Then I would offer IF I was already working from home for friends or family.

I would expect the employer to let the op take parental leave. Obviously. Unless the child is really ill, for weeks etc. Which Obviously something else will have to be arranged. I would never expect someone to hire an online pissing babysitter for a couple of days like others are suggesting.

Would you? Have you?

I would if I knew the neighbour would do the same for my child and if I was at home that day.
It's called a support network and it used to be very much a thing before people started being suspicious of everyone and micromanaging their children's lives.

Sounds like shes under pressure herself! No excuses here though .How can you leave a sick child with someone else?DGM would be at risk of catching the illness surely . Just explain DD is ill and you dont have alternative cover

How many of you would actually be willing to look after a sick neighbor’s child? Before writing about community support networks, please ask yourself this question

So what do you suggest the OP does then?
Give up work?
Expect her employer to pay her for staying at home looking after her child and not doing what she is paid to do?
This very situation surely must have crossed the OP's mind at some point?

No. I would not. I’m just interested how many people seem to think this is a solution. I’m not convinced they would do it to their own kids, it might be only something expected of other people.

I didn't say wfh was possible. I said it was FOR ME. I wouldnt ever leave, nor would anyone I know, leave their sick child with a stranger off a website. It would be a stranger.

It's an impossible situation. Difficult for you and difficult for your employer.

But I think the solution is to take this day as emergency parental leave and then any further days off needed will have to be annual leave - with an apology to your manager as the annual leave won't have had prior notice/approval.

The thing is, little kids are ill a lot. If you were allowed to take time off for the duration of their illness every time they were ill, it could amount to weeks a year. When my DD was in reception, she had about 20 days off in total. Which for a parent is like 3 weeks annual leave.

That sounds reasonable, but not everyone has that option. You need a reliable person, who’s also retired (or unemployed), relatively fit and with no other obligations.
Most of our neighbours and friends work themselves.