There should be a law about this (lighthearted, maybe not)

[dontcomeatme]

I have a 2.5YO and a 6month old. As I type I'm lying on my 2YO bedroom floor dying. No exaggeration. My throat is like razor blades, my head is pounding, I feel sick, my whole body aches, and I'm alone! My kids are none stop. The 2YO thankfully just got some new hand me down toys off his cousin so the novelty hasn't wore off yet, but my 6 month old is teething and a velcro baby. There should be a law for parents with DC under school age; whenever they're ill, their partner is entitled to the sick days to come home and help out 😭 or an emergency nanny is put in place to come and take over. Mam can go to bed and nanny/partner takes care of everything. I would chop a right arm off to get into bed right now! No one can take care of children like this, I thought I was going to pass out earlier 😵‍💫

What do you all do when you're too ill to look after young DC? We have no family support or nursery's in place. Just unlimited screen time? I'm so reluctant because it makes my 2YO absolutely feral.

Send help, and lemsips x

Lighthearted vote.
YABU - Wipe your mouth and get on with it everyone else does.

YANBU - Taking care of young DC when you're poorly is absolute hell on earth.

If I was that unwell my husband would take care of DC, if I've just got a cold I'd get on with it as would he when he has DC and I'm at work

@TheCurious0range I can manage a cold! I think I'm getting the flu, or the new covid strain. I've messaged OH to see if they can come home from work 🤞

Ah yes that is crap. My husband gets a certain number of paid 'dependents leave' days off so if I was genuinely unable to look after the kids he would take one of those. Sounds like a rough cold, have you got meds? I would screen time the 2 year old for an hour or so, give the meds time to kick in. Reduce effort where possible, order in lunch if that's an option, and don't do any tasks or chores that aren't essential for life.

That's what he should do it's emergency dependent's leave. A few colleagues have had new covid and been really unwell. When you're better get a flu jab! I get mine paid for by work but they're only about £10/£15 in most supermarket pharmacies well worth it , especially with small children and their snotty germs! DS has a runny nose from September to April it feels like...

When I have been that unwell DH has taken emergency leave (which there is a law in England about!) and come home to look after me and the children.

On the odd occasion when we have all been really ill we have taken shifts with the children so I’ll have an hour off whilst DH is responsible and then I take over and he rests. It’s only happened twice. Once was a vomiting bug and we only had one child at the time, but covid was awful when DH and I were ill and at least two of our children were bouncing off the walls but had to stay in isolation.

@TheCurious0range I'm entitled to free flu jabs because I have asthma and I have it booked in! Obviously didn't plan it soon enough 🤦🏻‍♀️ x

OH is only entitled to a limited amount of dependant days a year and we're nearly at the end of those, our 6 month old is in and out of hospital at the min so we try to keep then for him x

Definitely get your DH to come home so you can rest properly or it will take longer for you to recover. I'm SAHM and DH did have to do this a couple of times when the kids were younger. I only asked if I really needed the help but I also didn't let myself struggle too much before asking.

@FuzzyWolf I can't even imagine, thankfully we started having DC after covid lockdowns. We both had it in the beginning and we're wiped out !

My OH is on her way home thankfully 😭 trying to brush my teeth and I want to cry x

Oh crikey, if he can't get it off you're going to have to dose up on lemsip, see if he can get you difflam spray (tonsillitis veteran) it will numb your throat, and let the 2 year old have as much TV time as they need. If baby is clingy they might be getting ill too....

Apologies for the hes! Shouldn't have made assumptions

@TheCurious0range
Don't worry about it 😊 I used to say DW but then people assumed I was male haha!
She's on her way thankfully, and that's my concern with the baby, he's also got suspected asthma and I can't deal with him catching it as well, fingers crossed 😢 x

Thank goodness for the cavalry, hope you feel better

I'm going straight to bed 🙏 thank you x

their partner is entitled to the sick days to come home and help out 😭

They’re legally entitled to emergency unpaid leave for dependents. Usually only a day to make other arrangements. Or he could try to get annual leave or unpaid leave.

Unfortunately, your choice to have children close together without any “village” is not his employer’s problem to support with paid leave.

I’m glad he’s on his way home and I hope you feel much better very soon.

I am fairly certain that being so badly knocked by all the various bugs and germs stopped after a few years so hopefully you are almost at the end of the worst of it now.