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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

looking for cover if my son is to sick to go to school

14 replies

kiwigirl1 · 04/01/2008 23:54

Hi there This is the first time I have used this web site. I am a nanny who works three days a week. I also have a 5 year old. At present I pay out for an after school club and then someone to pick my son up to bring home and get dinner bath etc for when I get in at 7.15pm. It is sort of working okay but the problem I have is if he wakes up sick. I have no family here to help and my husband and I can't take days off and we cant afford to get an agency person in either. I guess I am looking for someone who is available at short notice, kind, caring and not too expensive. Or a job where I can pick my son up while working and have him with me if he is not well!!!!! I live in Enfield. Does anyone have any ideas?????

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MaureenMLove · 05/01/2008 00:01

What happens if you're too ill to work then, or your dh for that matter? Personally if my dd is too ill to be at school, I think I'd want to be at home with them. Couldn't you ring in sick for yourself on these occasions? I think you are going to struggle to find someone to look after a sick child,

MrsWeasley · 05/01/2008 00:01

Hi, Welcome to MN hope to enjoy the site.

If your DS was ill shouldn't one of you be with him?

A lot of childminders have sickness policies where they wont take children if poorly or if sick with in the previous 24 hours. Its common practise and also not fair to expect a childminder (or the other children she cares for) to look after an ill child. Can you take him to work with you?

Sorry if this sounds too harsh.

Original poster

kiwigirl1 · 05/01/2008 00:33

Thanks Of course We want to be with him without a doubt but as a nanny I myself only get 5 days off a year and my Husb is the same. My son gets high temps and he can be off for 3 days plus the weekend and we can't afford to take days off sick without pay. When he is really bad we ring up sick but it happens quite a lot. We even use holidays to get through at times. I feel sick myself wondering what to do if I think he might be coming down with something. I really need grandma type figure. Of course I feel guilty about even thinking of leaving him when he is sick as when my bosses children are sick she goes off to work happy as because she has me. So of course I feel like I am letting my son down. No I can't take him to my present job that's why I should look for one in my area and where they are a little understanding.

OP posts:

kkey21 · 05/01/2008 11:24

As a former nanny myself also, i nannied for a family when i had my own newborn. The parents made it clear that i would need alternative care for my baby (who was then 5mths) should he be unwell so i could come into work.... It never happened in the time i was there thank goodness but as a mother i would no way leave my child if he was sick to care for someone else's.

I understand what you re looking for but i doubt its a very appealing position for someone, on the basis that if your son is sick.

I am quite local to you and there is definately not a shortage of nanny positions (baring in mind you need to be near your son's school) Good luck in finding your solution. x

alsodoingtaxreturn · 05/01/2008 12:33

Same as what everyone else has said I'm afraid. I'm a childminder who has had ds off sick a coupple of times since Sept, once for a week and the other for a few days if I remember correctly. I had to refund all parents and I lost a LOT of money but I had no choice. And btw, I really couldn't afford it, I always need all the money we get but I didn't have a choice - I also have no family around who could have had ds. Hard isn't it

AbbeyA · 05/01/2008 12:53

This is a huge problem for everyone. Even if you have family nearby they have lives of their own and can't drop everything on the spur of the moment. When I was a stay at home Mum I did ,on a couple of occasions have a friend's sick child but only as an emergency because:
a,I didn't want us to get it.
b,a sick child wants its Mum.
c,I had commitments of my own.

The other problem is that children are sick without notice-you may well get a phone call from school telling you he is unwell and needs picking up.
I never got an answer to it except my mother agreed to drive 60 miles to us-if she was free that day. I heaved a sigh of relief when they were old enough to stay at home on their own. I have often thought it would be a good business to set up-going to people's houses to look after ill child. Perhaps it is already covered?

colditz · 05/01/2008 12:57

Difficult, because I wouldn't hire a nanny who wanted to bring a sick child with her. And it's not about 'understanding', it's because I don't want my children to be unneccessarily exposed to illnesses.

I don't think any employer, employing you for any job, is going to be happy with the appearance of a sick child.

What about childminding?

MightyMoosh · 05/01/2008 14:58

Think that would be my suggestion too, think about chilminding yourself or another stay-at-home career?

Original poster

kiwigirl1 · 05/01/2008 15:01

Thanks for all replies. I guess it makes me sound like an uncaring mum. I am trying to find out what other people do that was all. 1. I know a sick child whats their mum. 2. Of course I want to be there for him. 3. I know no one else wants to be around sick children. In this day and age I also know if I keep taking time off I will lose my job and have trouble getting another one. I have considered doing childminding. I have done the course and passed. But our place is really small. I know I would feel so much better knowing I was here for him. As far as a business for looking after sick children I think it would work and if its covered could the person who does it contact me hmm.

OP posts:

kkey21 · 05/01/2008 15:11

You don't come across as uncaring at all, as if you didn't care you wouldn't be here trying to find a solution! Its comes across completely as it is, you need to earn money and can't afford not too. I am in exactly the same position as you, and moneywise as a childminder now i would really struggle if i had to take time out for my son being ill, but that comes with being a mother. I have been lucky that i have only had one day with my 2yr old being unwell that i had to refund parents, and as tight as it was it had to be done!
A business looking after sick children wouldn'y probably appeal to anyone as again someone has mnetioned them not wishing to then be poorly themselves.
However from mine and your point as a Nanny i have on many occasions looked after sick children (one of them eventually being hospitalised and very unwell) this was pre-child for me, so it is done, maybe an au-pair (some can live out) for your son is an idea??
Childminding certainly sounds a good option for you. Then if your son is under the weather he has his Mum there and can cosy up in bed in comfort. Space doens't usually matter. I have an average sized house and choose to only mind two children. x

Millarkie · 05/01/2008 15:35

Do you mean you have 5 days a year 'carer's leave' (or unpaid parental leave?) or do you only have 5 days a year annual leave (holiday)?
If my children are ill, I take annual leave until they are better - if that means dh and I end up with so few days left that we cannot have a family holiday then that is what happens.

You could try looking for a job where you can have your son with you after school and school hols and I guess if he was under the weather (although I can't imagine anyone wanting a properly 'sick' child mixing with their own children). However in most cases these jobs are treated as a nanny-share so you will be earning less too. We used to employ a nanny who had her own child and she brought him in with her when he was ill, but she generally had the same virus, and my children would have already been exposed before they knew they were sick - so it's not impossible.

Original poster

kiwigirl1 · 05/01/2008 16:25

We have 5 days sick leave each and 4 weeks each for holidays. I only choose when I can have 2 weeks and family choose their 2. But we use our holidays to cover his 12 weeks school holidays so don't get a family holiday anyway. I only use my sick days to cover son not being well. As I only work 3 days I don't really get sick - touch wood!!!!!
I am trying to look for work closer to home where a family will be happy to accept both of us. He came to work with me for first 3 years of his life. children I looked after and son were like best friends. It worked well - he came to work with me no matter what! I was with them for 7 years. Ended as they no longer needed a nanny. I would work for less £ if I could have a job where my son was welcome.

OP posts:

saff · 05/01/2008 17:01

i became a cm in order to get round situations like this.If one of my kids to ill so i have to cancel cm then i try to make up with baby sitting in evening as i also work for agency trouble with having kids is that they keep you poor

Millarkie · 05/01/2008 17:03

We hire a nanny for the long school holidays so we can save our time off work for sick leave/hospital appointments etc!

Looks like taking him with you might be the best option then - have you tried the nannysharing websites? www.thenannysharers.co.uk and www.sharingcare.co.uk (think this one may have changed it's name), or you could try and advert on gumtree.com.
Good luck.

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