Nannies, what do you do when you are ill at work?

[BornToShopForcedToWork]

I am a live-in nanny and since Friday not feeling well. I was in bed the whole weekend and started working at 7:30 this morning. I have no energy at all, I feel horrible and I am in a lot of pain. My employers are both at work and I am supposed to go to Tumble Tots at 9:45. There is no way I can make it.

Just wondering what other nannies do when they are illat work. Any tips to get the day over as quickly as possible without my little one getting too bored?

Same as any stay at home parent. Crafts if age appropriate, puzzles, child reading to you, obstacle courses every few hours to burn energy, small walk around block for fresh air or even to garden gate. Easy food - this is really where freezer food is handy. Tv but limited so children don't go goggle eyed. Also let parents know you are ill and hopefully they'll let you finish early. Also take a day off so you can recover faster.

I'd have phoned in sick tbh
Hope you're not infectious!

Thanks for all the replies. I can't even talk thats how much my throat hurts. Taking a day off is impossible because my employers both have important jobs and they can't say I cant come today because my nanny is sick. Little one was ill last week as well as his mother and he is still feeling poorly. It's biscuits and TV I guess :-)

Your employer should have arranged cover.
I'm an employer and have a live out nanny. If she is ill then she needs to call in sick. She (and you) is an employee not an SAHM, and has every right to sick leave and sick pay. DH and I both have senior roles but sometimes people are sick and that's part of being a parent.

I am not a live out nanny but live in, so calling in sick is not that easy.

You can be honest with your employers and offer them the option of either having you take a sick day (and they arrange cover) or you carrying on by supervising the children watching TV etc while you lie on the sofa. Don't feel guilty!

What have you taken for your sore throat? If nothing yet try two paracetamol and get some chloraseptic throat spray from the chemist. That could be a tiny outing for you and your charge. Then take two nurofen 4 hours later, then back to paracetamol again 4 hours after that.

Or (also for severe sore throat) try gargling with soluble aspirin and slowly swallowing the solution after gargling ... but adjust your other meds accordingly.

I just spoke to the mum and she is fine that he watches TV and we have an easy day. However I do feel guilty because my little one loves Tumble Tots! I hate being stuck in the house.

It is difficult when you are living in. A "duvet day" is usually the best solution - much as you would do for one of the kids if they were ill. Even if you care for a baby a few extra hours of "passive care" is not going to hurt as a one off - although if it is contagious you should discuss it with the parents.

"both have important jobs and they can't say I cant come today because my nanny is sick"

No, but they can call a temp. agency, take the child to work, call in help from a friend/relative etc. (over the years we have both done each of these, but only when the nanny was so ill that even a duvet day was out of the question!)

The last time I was really ill, my charge wasn't well either so we both just flopped on the sofa and my boss told me to take it easy.

I'd not be going to toddler groups.

If I am feeling ill - very rarely then we decamp to the lounge, I lie in a blanket on the sofa and DC sit and watch dvds, play with the toys I brought through or look at books etc.

I am a live in nanny; If I was properly ill - I have to tell my boss by 6.30am if poss I start work at 715, in the past she would have arranged and paid for a day at the day nursery DC used to attend however if it happened now she would do the school runs and work during the day - we live 5 mins from work. I understand the issues me being ill would have so would generally just have a duvet day but luckily I only have 1 charge and he's able to occupy himself with minimal assistance.

being live in is so much harder calling in sick

tbh im rarely ill so havnt taken sick days, but if i feel a bit under the weather/have streaming cold/lose voice and feel shit, then happy to go in providing mb/db are happy for me to have a sofa/tv/duvet day with kiddiwnks, and so far all have been fine with it, as means they can go to work

but if i really felt that ill then i would have day off, tho as i work 3 days, (mon to wed) the one day i got flu, and was flu not man flu , i struggled to work wed (as knew she had an important conference) but mb came home afterwards, and i then went home and died stayed in bed, thur/fri/sat and finally betterish sunday and back to work as usual mon

depending on age, would depend if i went to tumbletots, if young and need help then no i wouldnt go and tbh they wont reliese it is tumbletot day - but if in 3yr group then would go but let them get on with it while watching

Depends, if I am literally at deaths door and can't get out of bed or if I have been sick I will phone that eve/ first thing ( like 6am)

If not I struggle in and tell them I feel awful. They also can't get days off easy. They will try and get back early if possible, but I don't go to any classes/ events even if paid for etc, and we just plod through the day with easy food, indoor play ( poss tv- never use on normal day) etc..

Last time I was ill was last year some time, children around 7 months and 18 months at the time. I blew bubbles for hours as had no energy for anything else! Luckily they napped ( still do). And someone took over around 3pm

And 99% of the time I feel unwell, charges have the same seeing as we are with each other all day. So no ones up to much

Don't feel guilty about it. There are loads more trips to Tumbletots for him to enjoy and he's not missing anything significant, a friends birthday party for example

We have lazy days if I'm ill....so we do a lot of tv watching, very easy lunch, LO plays while I watch him from the sofa (usually he play doctors to make me better, or makes me soup in his play kitchen), I nap when he naps, I do no tidying or cleaning, my boss would much rather a day like that than me not coming in at all!