Sick child babysitting service

[ClawsandEffect]

Just struck me this morning at the school gate (sick child having to go to school because parents couldn't get time off work) that there might be a niche market for in-child's-home babysitting for unwell children.

Obviously would have to be DRB'd individuals.

Just made me feel bad for the child this morning, who looked as if they needed to be on the sofa with a blanket.

I highly doubt anyone would either use this service or offer this service

The issue comes up sometimes on here. I just don't think that many people want to spend time with a probably contagious child. Always going to be a good chance you'd pick it up yourself.

Oh goodness me, I imagine that the babysitter would catch all sorts and pass everything on too! When little ones are poorly they want mum or dad or the very least a grandparent or auntie/uncle somebody they know and are comfortable with not a stranger.

I understand what you mean however as a parent if my child was too poorly to go to school I wouldn’t be leaving them with a babysitter. It’s frustrating about working etc but when they are sick they want you.

It’s the same as when people say oh use koru kids or whatever. I’m not going to contact some random and leave my most precious gift in the world to someone I haven’t throughly vetted, grilled interviewed and met. I think it’s a good service but ultimately I would want to know exactly I was leaving my kids with and I wouldn’t be leaving them when sick

I was definitely in this parents position many times as a parent. As a granny now, I felt for both of them.

I think it's a brilliant idea, and would be well-used by desperate parents who are willing to take the risk of their dc catching something else too.

For various reasons I've been offering babysitting alongside my main job for the last year, and the demand is huge if you're flexible - before and after school, ad hoc when the mum needs a rest (esp special needs children), weekends, evenings. It's often extended into a bit of housekeeping and cooking.

I'd recommend it to anyone with a bit of spare time who wants some cash (I get £18/hour). I just have a DBS certificate, basic child first aid, and the experience of bringing up my own dc.

I personally think this would be a good idea! Some people have jobs that it's quite frankly impossible to have days off surgeon/etc and to be honest even for people who can have days off it's often very difficult and only so much our employers accept before they get the face on.
Another reason I miss having a "village"

I wouldn't use such a service even if it existed either. But there's invariably people who think it does and tell other posters they should be using it rather than take time off to care for a sick child, so perhaps the market exists. Or maybe it's one of those things some people like telling others to do when they'd never actually want to themselves.

Surely if the child is too poorly for school, a parent should stay off with them ☹️

I wouldn’t use this service if my child was too ill to be in school id want to keep an eye on them myself. I also wouldn’t want the responsibility of looking after someone else’s sick child either just in case it escalated. A parent, family member, close friend etc who knows the child well will find it far easier to spot signs when you know how the child is ‘normally’. Plus as others have said if you predominantly look after sick kids you’d have every cold and sickness bug going.

Kids get sick. It’s a part of life. I know it’s not easy but being a parent means you have to have a plan in place for such eventualities. I’m just not sure having a stranger look after them when they are vulnerable is such a good idea. But others may well feel differently

The time for this service was 15 years ago. Hybrid working means it’s no longer in demand. Absence rates are far higher post hybrid working because parents can stay at home with kids and still work

Would the babysitter not need to charge a massive premium to cover the fact that they might catch the bug and be unable to work for the next week? Also potentially becoming unreliable for any other bookings they have.

Agencies can already supply emergency nannies for those with with budget for it. How keen they'll be to work with children too unwell to be at school, I have no idea.

Just to point out that some people, it's probaby rare but I'm one of them, hardly ever catch other people's bugs. It must be an immune system thing.

I've been babysitting for one family in particular for a year who are constantly ill with different things, and I've never caught any of them (don't be jealous, I have a recurring antoimmune condition).

I regularly see ads posted on childminding websites looking for a back up carer for when child is ill and can't attend nursery.

Have you never had pushback from your employer for this? I had it repeatedly when my DC were young. Active hostility at times. Once I was told to park my car outside the office and leave DC in a blanket in the car.

Along with having to ask for permission to go and pick up my sick child following a school phone call. As if I wasn't definitely leaving anyway!

My company pays for a subscription to such a service for crucial staff who can't be off, or for when you have to travel. I don't know how widely it's used though.

I dunno, I think WFH could make it more viable for me.

If I could book a quick half day in, that person could supervise whilst I could still provide support and comfort - as well as oversight. They could take him out for a fresh air pram nap, and that would cover most of my day.

An unwell child really should be with a familiar care giver that they feel comfortable with and can be trusted to monitor them properly and be able to make the correct call on when they might need a doctor. Doesn’t necessarily need to be a parent but aunty, grandparent, au pair/nanny - ie someone you trust not an internet random with a DBS check. I know often easier said than done but if my employer was twatty about DC being sick then my priority would be finding a new job. Thankfully my boss is also a mum to small kids and is fine with an emergency WFH as/when needed.

An acquaintance - a retired paediatric nurse - offered this service locally to my SIL and was in huge demand, not least with medical families where e.g. mum was a surgeon and couldn’t work remotely.

Not suitable for very sick kids possibly, but good for day two or three of a bug or for spots still unscabbed chicken pox stage when kids just needed to be home and resting.

There was a drop off service for kids up to age 10 in the city I lived in the USA, right by the hospital. Many better employers even paid for spots for their staff. I never used it I think it is quite niche though so only works for large cities with well paid workers, it was expensive!!!

And the person needn’t be a stranger. This lady also did babysitting so built up a relationship with families.

There is definitely a market for such a service for people in highly paid, high pressure jobs who rightly or wrongly think they can’t take time off. I’ve worked with a lot of them, many have back up nannies.

Does it cover ill kids? There was a thread recently where this was discussed and someone said theirs didnt.

Since when did a school allow a sick kid to attend school? If they're that ill school will say take them home with you or will call to collect them anyway