Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that you shouldn't be working if it means you can't do your job when you child is sick?

96 replies

childcareneeded · 17/09/2008 08:10

I had an appointment this week, but the person I was meant to see couldn't come because her DS "had a cold". There was no one to replace her. I feel let down.

I think if you can't do your job because your child is sick, and thus letting other people down, you shouldn't be doing particular jobs.

OP posts:
MascaraOHara · 17/09/2008 08:53

oooo, great idea.

Let me resign right now and you, who I'm sure never has issues with childcare, you can have an increase in your taxes to help pay for all of us single prents who you've just dismissed from the workplace.

Fabulous idea.

Oh and not to mention all those men & women who have to take time off even though they have a partner because their other half is not mentally or physically capable of looking after a sick child all day.

and then there's the ones who's children have longterm illness and have to take regular hours out here and there to take them to specialists..

wow, who do you propose fills the massive hole you've just created in the economy?

or maybe just a few of you should continue working much harder but should gaive, lets say, 80% of your salary to the government to let all the parents stay home.

or perhaps.. when each person is born, they could be allocated a role in life of either

a) worker
b) breeder

I like this idea.. lets explore it further shall we...

or not.

Gateau · 17/09/2008 08:54

Like most things, it's all down to the mother's judgement.
SOme mothers will stay at home with a child who has a cold, others won't.

Gateau · 17/09/2008 08:56

Rhinestone, read my second post. It's echoing what you said.

Litchick · 17/09/2008 09:04

We all have to take time off when our children are sick - it's impossible not to.
But I'm sure people are peed off when we do...I remember having to postpone a two week court case cos one of mine had chicken pox - the judge, social services, experts, clients etc were all, I'm sure, mightily happy. But what could I do?

bozza · 17/09/2008 09:09

Obviously there are colds and colds. Anyone with a child in childcare (and therefore mixing with other germ infested children)could not possibly take off every day that their child has a cold (or I wouldn't have been in work for the last week and a half) but sometimes you might need an odd day at the height of a cold, or it might be a bit more than just a cold

I like mo'h's idea. I am not a single parent but if I stopped work we would be eligible for tax credits which we are not now.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 17/09/2008 09:11

Gateau - wasn't disagreeing with you, sorry if it sounded that way

Gobbledigook · 17/09/2008 09:11

what a bizarre OP!

So anyone with children should not work at all in case their child gets sick adn they have to cancel an appointment?!

Ha ha!

Oblomov · 17/09/2008 09:12

YABU
Do you have children ? If you do, you would never make this comment.

Or what if YOU are sick. Oh you would let someonme down, you sinner. Lets hope nothing happens to your health or your dh.
Lets hope you don't get .....cancer ? Lets hope you don't lose your husband. If you do, of to work you go ?

What a preposterous idea.

snackattack · 17/09/2008 09:16

Let's take a collective deep breath and not bother responding any more to OP who is clearly either:

a) a troll
b) barking mad
c) an attention seeking, stirring witch

or.....

d) all of the above......

in which case she's getting off on our responses....I say we call a halt!!

MorningTownRide · 17/09/2008 09:17

Y'know, I can't even be bothered to rationalise with the OP.

Can someone hold my jacket?

childcareneeded - I'm going to pull your hair and pinch you.

LIZS · 17/09/2008 09:19

I get up to 8 days pa of absence such as to cover dependents' illness, domestic problems etc. Occasionally it gets in the way of other people's arrangements if unplanned, for which I would apologise, but that is life ! What "particular" jobs did you ahve in mind ? Very few would cause the earth to stop turning by the odd day off.

ByTheSea · 17/09/2008 09:21

Well, I pushed my child who wasn't feeling that well out the door to school yesterday, and went to do my one day a week at work, hoping that she'd feel better. Unfortunately, my child really wasn't well, and I got a call to pick her up from school. I felt bad about it, but thankfully, my employer was very understanding. Fortunately, my DC are rarely ill, but I have no other childcare support and am working at a part-time, school-hours job in order to be there. Personally, I think YABU.

Lauriefairycake · 17/09/2008 09:23

Is the key here in the last sentence you said - "particular jobs" ?

If no one could replace her then maybe it's a caring role you were meeting her for (or a mental health role)?

No one can replace me in my job as I have set clients and if I were ever sick or had a childcare problem then my clients would go without seeing me that week. This would be bad for them and it would only happen in very unavoidable circumstances.

Occasionally things happen, car breaks down, I have a foster child that I can't just leave with anyone (social services rules) so would have to take the day off if she was sick.

Just consider that the 'child with cold' may be the person who was coming to see you 'unavoidable circumstance' and she may have tried every option before she met with you.

OrmIrian · 17/09/2008 09:25

I was unable to talk to the person I needed to at the hospital yesterday because she was on sick leave. Could you rephrase your OP please. I suggest:

"Am I being unreasonable to think that you shouldn't be working if it means you can't do your job when you are sick?
"

TheCrackFox · 17/09/2008 09:46

Imagine a mother actually caring enough about their own child to take the day off work? How bizarre.

Regarding the OP, perhaps you could write to your MP and demand that mothers are not allowed to work until their youngest is 18. While your at it badger your MP to remove womens right to vote as well, it has caused no end of problems.

What a twunt!

CatIsSleepy · 17/09/2008 09:48

strange OP
i have no further comment to make!

TheHedgeWitch · 17/09/2008 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cali · 17/09/2008 09:54
FabioBigBangBlackHole · 17/09/2008 09:54

Oh I think it's a marvellous idea.

In two parent families only one must be allowed to work (best if it's the man, less likely to suffer from wimmin's troubles)

And lone parents must not work until the children are at secondary school. (serve them right for not keeping their man happy)

Women Mothers may be allowed to work ONLY if they have a full time nanny (for the nights) a back up nanny for the day shift, a nursery place and a childminder. Oh, and if it doesn't tax their pretty little heads too much.

The economy will kaboom.

Oh I wish the OP would come back and tell us the sanctioned 'certain' jobs.

Miaou · 17/09/2008 10:17

ROFL at seagull troll!

AMumInScotland · 17/09/2008 10:38

Oh dear, how terrible for you - people wanting to have a life that matters to them more than you do. Shall we go back to that hypothetical 1950's world (which never really existed of course) - men working out of the house, being terribly important and never letting anyone down. Women tending the children and the home, with a smile and an apron. Would that suit you better?

cory · 17/09/2008 10:46

Be an awful lot of people living on benefits...

solidgoldbrass · 17/09/2008 10:52

OH what a witless crock of shit. It doesn;t make any difference WHY a person is not at work on a given day - whether they have a sick child, a broken leg, a burst pipe and therefore have to wait for the emergency plumber - or, being, perhaps a childfree male, they have a stinking hangover and have called in sick.

Get the fuck over yourself.

chipmonkey · 17/09/2008 12:14

trip-trap

fedupandisolated · 17/09/2008 12:18

Seagull troll LMAO.

Deffo a troll though.

C'mon folks - see through him/her.