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Original poster

Childcare when child is poorly

35 replies

Eggomobile · 26/02/2019 19:02

Can I ask what childcare you have in place whilst at work and whether that would continue if your child was poorly.

I’ve only been back to work 6 weeks and baby is ill with sickness and diarrhoea but it’s the second time baby has been ill since I’ve been back. I’m wondering if I need to revisit my childcare decision.

OP posts:

FlibbertyGiblets · 26/02/2019 19:05

A nanny would do the care sick or no. Childcare settings will exclude for D and V.

No other parent to split the days off needed? You wouldn't want to inflict on parents or siblings.

kaytee87 · 26/02/2019 19:06

I work 17.5 hours over 3 days. DS is at nursery one day, my mum one day and MIL one day. He couldn't go to nursery sick of course but my mum or MiL would take him an extra day if required or one of us would take a day off.
We're very lucky, I realise that.

kaytee87 · 26/02/2019 19:07

He only ever actually seems to get ill with colds anyway tbh.

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Childcare & nursery Families

m0therofdragons · 26/02/2019 19:09

On Mumsnet everyone is supposed to leave sick dc with random babysitters from a website but in reality dh and I split it. When dh started new job I let my employer know I would have to step up short time until
Dh got through his 6 month probation then I was promoted and had a 4 month probation so dh covered that and now we split it. I've made it clear I'm committed to my employer long term and small dc is short term but with 3 dc I'm likely to be off on some occasions.

Twickerhun · 26/02/2019 19:10

Childminder, who takes DC with most things except D and v or anything highly infectious. We then have to work out who most easily can take the time off if kids are sick. It’s not automatic. My old job was shit so I used to take the time off as it didn’t matter if it got me into trouble.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 26/02/2019 19:11

More likely my husband would step in as self employed- my employer may let me work from home- my LO is just starting nursery so this could start happening quite a bit

hammylehamster · 26/02/2019 19:11

If one of the DC is sick:

One of us has leave
I change my hours
I work from home
Child goes to grandparents

Appreciate I'm lucky to have a lot of flexibility

NerrSnerr · 26/02/2019 19:11

My husband and I split it. We use carers leave, annual leave and unpaid leave. We have no local family and not near a big city where you might get a nanny agency.

wendz86 · 26/02/2019 19:12

They catch lots in first the first few weeks . It gets much better . I use my mum now for emergency illness childcare .

SinkGirl · 26/02/2019 19:24

We would be screwed, there’s no one to help. My twins started nursery in January, two mornings a week - they’ve been almost constantly ill ever since. Multiple times they’ve been too sick to go, other times they’ve been fine when I dropped them off, and we’ve had a call within an hour or two saying they’re unwell. At the moment they have what I’m 90% sure is flu - one of them has been unwell for almost 3 weeks and is just improving, the other became really unwell yesterday. It’s never ending.

Stylinit · 26/02/2019 19:28

Combo of dh & I alternating and calling on grandparents.

SherlockSays · 26/02/2019 19:30

DH or I will have to take the time off work - we'll get some dependents allowance (I think it's 3 days) after that, it will have to be AL or unpaid. Unfortunately that's what has to be done.

TellerTuesday4EVA · 26/02/2019 19:35

My mum gets landed with any sick days luckily she lives close by & doesn't work herself. If it happened she wasn't available (in holiday etc) I would take the day off & employer is quite understanding - I'm very lucky though & I really do sympathise with people that struggle on without having support available:

MrsFotheringill · 26/02/2019 19:45

Generally I take a day off (first two days paid then unpaid for any more in the year), as my job is less important than DH’s.
However it might be worth noting the general level of cleanliness at the nursery. The first nursery I had DC1 in was generally poor, though I didn’t realise at the time. He was poorly loads. I moved him to another nursery for various reasons and have since had another two DC, also in the second nursery. They hardly ever caught anything in the second nursery, it was clear it just had higher standards all round. I’m not saying this is necessarily the case for you, but don’t just write it off like I did, thinking that babies always catch loads from nurseries.

theothermum · 26/02/2019 19:56

We have literally no one. Luckily I have very flexible working twice a week and after that it's annual leave. I am not 'working from home' when my DC is sick as tbh you cannot get any work done while looking after a sick child.

EgremontRusset · 26/02/2019 20:02

DS has done three long days a week in nursery since 9m. He got sick lots the first six months, now it’s way less frequent. Friends who just started their DS in nursery at 3 are going through the same now, so I do think it’s stage not age iyswim. They’d get less ill with a nanny, sure, but then you’d just be storing it up for the future?

Youngandfree · 26/02/2019 20:05

If my DH Is away (which he is a lot) then depending on the day of the week my mum can (on days she is not working) or I have to leave work (I’m a teacher) and if dh is home then he collects them.

DelurkingAJ · 26/02/2019 20:06

Our CM only has DS2 during the day and will therefore take even if it’s D&V. It was a massive selling point for us. My DM has come and rescued us on a few occasions when one of DH and I was sick too, but she’s two hours away. My employer is sensible but does seem to expect you to either take leave or work properly from home (I could make up hours if it came to it)...I’ve never had to.

Di11y · 26/02/2019 20:18

split with dh, although CM is v flexible - happy to take dd with chicken pox as long as she was feeling ok in herself. in theory could swap days to a certain extent or take flexi.

Thirtyrock39 · 26/02/2019 20:19

It's a nightmare isn't it I dread the kids being ill- which makes me feel really guilty as I'm almost more worried about having to take time off than them being ill and I have 'calpolled' them up and sent them to school on occasions when if I was a sahm I'd definitely have kept them home (not if d and v or temperature or contagious type thing mind)
We aren't allowed to work from home in my job If doing any childcare (annoying as there are things I could easily do while watching one of mine doZing On the sofa ...)so I either ask (beg!) my parents if it's nothing to contagious or have to take the day off ...dh will once in a blue moon do it but that's a whole other thread.
My work let's you have up to 5 carers days though I think it's only supposed to be 1 day at a time

LaPufalina · 26/02/2019 20:25

When DD1 started nursery if she was poorly (at least once a fortnight) I'd take half a day's leave and work a half-day at home; she'd nap for a couple of hours usually and I'd plough through and do another couple of hours when my DH got home. He's a teacher so I have him to rely on for 13 weeks of the year! My job is flexible though so tends to fall to me to cover the other 39. Bracing myself for when DD2 starts in summer...

Stompythedinosaur · 26/02/2019 20:37

I don't think you have many childcare options, unless you have family nearby. Dp and I take turns being off. If things are desperate (as in I'm in court and dp has an invester meeting) we beg our mothers!

Mumshappy · 26/02/2019 20:42

If mine are ill i just dont go into work. Its never been a problem with them. I know that im very fortunate. I hope your baby gets better soon OP.

PurplePotatoes · 26/02/2019 20:43

I usually take the day off (only work 3 days anyway) as I get 5 paid days a year for sick dependents and flexi. DH could probably take some days but his work are nowhere near as flexible. My dad has stepped in a couple of times when it's been a 48hr thing and DC are ok in themselves but just not able to go back to nursery/school.
Tbh though we've been very lucky so far with 2yr old in nursery and one DC in nursery then reception that they are both very rarely ill .. in 2yrs of childcare I've only had to take 2 days off.

DonnaDarko · 26/02/2019 20:46

DP and I work full time. If DS is too I'll to go to nursery, one of us stays home with him. We take it in turns .

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