to dread that 7.30am call from our childcarer

[agnesf]

Just that really. You know that if whoever is looking after your kids today when you're meant to be at work is not going to call you at 7.30am just to check if they like sausage and mash for tea. Its going to be bad news and its going to end up in you spending the next few hours ringing round everyone you know who can be paid/ bribed or called in for a favour to look after the DCs.

It happened to me today ..............

I have no idea what that OP means

Yep, I feel your pain. My dd is in nursery and when the name pops up on my mobile I know it's never good news.

I find your OP quite easy to understand, agnesf. I hope you managed to sort out child care for your children. Maybe look into having back up carers just in case it happens again.

know you just call in work and tell them your childminder is sick/or whatever.

Let down for childcare at the last minute?? That sucks. Did you find someone?

You had a phone call at 7.30am and had to find someone else to watch them?

oh its ok its me and my stonking headache. Sorry op, I am clearly in need of a nap today

Yes I hate that.

I also hate that when my child starts getting sick my first thought is "oh no what about work"..

Makes me want to leave :(

Hope tomorrow is better for you.

Christ alive I had one that called in sick (for herself and her husband and her kids as all apparently prevented her from being able to work) more times than she didn't, still expected to be paid no matter how often she was off sick.and then couldn't understand why I gave notice.

So yes I'm totally with you on the dread of the 7.30 am phone call.

Oh God. Yes, outwardly you're all sweetness and light and concern: "Oh poooor you! Oh, do get well soon. Yes, you just get yourself tucked up and look after yourself".

The internal dialogue, however goes: "AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!! I HAAAAAAATE YOOOOOOUUUUU!!! AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!"

Yanbu. It's the main reason I now use a school run holiday club
i had one who used to call you home from work at the first sign of a runny nose. That was a difficult one as she was a friend.

So few people have a decent second option as well. I'd love it if my mum lived round the corner and could just drop everything and rush round. Hmm, in a parallel life. The idea of an emergency nanny / nursery is just unacceptable to me. I have tried it and I didn't like it.

Thanks all for the sympathy ....

In my job on some days - fortunately - yes I could just call in and say my childcarer was sick but some days i just can't - I work in a job where if I don't do my bit on certain days of the month, lots of other people can't do theirs. Even if I'm sick on those days I'd struggle in just to do my bit.

stubbornstains you are 100% right re the internal dialogue although am ashamed to say this morning I think I might have just come across as a bit grumpy and sour.

Fortunately I did find some lovely people who could help me out but now am dragging around a big guilty millstone until have time to get to somewhere when can buy them chocs/ flowers etc.

carlywurly - good on you for doing a holiday club. The main prob for me is that I would really like my DCs to be able to stay home in the hols or at least go to a home like place (aka my childminders house). Holiday cubs are great but my DCs like staying at home so had organised something that I thought would be ideal .... but turns out it wasn't - quite.

Euphemia - my DCs are too big for nursery ....

So true, stubborn stains

Those who've said haven't you got backup childcare - well we only actually need 9 days childcare in the summer so you'd hope that your childcarer wasn't going to be ill then.

A colleague at work said in sympathy - We are all one step away from the brink. It was nice .....

My old CM used to call with 'family crisis' at 7.30 am! I was so so lucky in that she worked together with another CM, so DS could go there in emergencies and holidays. I did, however, shit a brick the day she gave me a letter saying she had resigned (we all got one, it wasn't just me/DS ). Luckily childminder 2 took over, and she's been FAB, and touch wood, never been ill - I dread the day she is!

Well Euphemia I guess you could post the same thread as me by with don't you just dread the sound of DC puking at 7.30am on day you are going to work......

car broken down - our usual CM sounds just like your new one - she is fabulous in every was but unfortunately away on (a very well deserved) holiday at moment - hence alternative childcarer.

I know we can all ring in and say we need a day off but there are times and places when you know it will cause such a big burden to your colleagues that you just wish it wasn't happening