Urgent advice needed pleae regarding nanny with own child and illness.

[PicketyBing]

I'm a nanny with my own child, aged 8 months. I work two days a week looking after a 3 year old and 7 year old, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I take a lower salary for this, it's worked out quite well so far.

However, I've just had a call from the Mum to say that the 3 year old has hand, foot and mouth disease and needs to be kept away from other children. Obviously I can't take my baby daughter (BF!) to work with me tomorrow!But unfortunately I have nobody to take care of her as my in-laws, who would normally do it are on holiday, my DP is on a course and my Mum is at work.

What happens in these circumstances? Is it my responsibilty to find somebody to look after my daughter so I can go to work? It's looking highly unlikely that they are going to pay me if I don't go in.

Really, really stuck

It is at your own risk if you take her - I have been in this situation and had to take my DD, I kept them as far apart as possible, gave my DD lots of activities she could do on highchair tray and other child could do at table - playing with cold cooked spagetti/jelly etc - not easy, but like you I had no other options - just had to accept that my DD 'might' catch it - sadly the major downside to taking your own child to work - Ideally this should have been discussed before you started. When we discussed it it was pretty much agreed that if any of the children were ill I would still come as chances are they would have already shared their germs with each other anyway - saying that I worked full time... tricky one sorry couldn't have been more help!

Thanks for your reply fairimum. It's ok, have sorted it out now. Have a family friend who is a childminder and she'll look after my DD. Massively out of pocket, but keeps everything on good terms, especially when I'm going in tomorrow to ask for time off!

really if the child is unwell the parent should be watching her as you may catch it then you cant be around the children you ll need to take time off

cheryl - I'd have thought one of the major attractions of a nanny to parents is that they DO have cover for when the child is ill - unlike childcare centres. I'm a nanny and have had all sorts of weird and wonderful diseases in the past 14 years - and gone into work with most of them. I caught it from the kids anyhow - so just have easy days. c'est la vie!

in these circumstances i think you just have to bite the bullet and go to work as normal and hope that your dd wont catch it

did you not discuss illness at the interview and what you would do?

obv you dont want your dd to catch h,f&m - but its not the end of the world if she does - as with most illness the child is contagious before the have it - so theres a chnace your dd may catch it anyway

cheryl - thats the BIG advantage of having a nanny (unlike cm/nursery) that if your child is ill that you still have childcare

it hurts so badly as an adult if you get H, F & M - just to warn you! I was in agony!!

so what happens if the nanny cares for the children when sick then the nanny catches it and becomes very ill and cant work parents then still need to take time off wrk so would work out roughly the same as if taking time of for child.
i am a childminder and if i am ill i dont wrk so the children dont catch it because if they do then i wouldnt be able to take them so its like a circle of illness

I had her with the childminder today. Don't really want to say much more, too public on here. Blondes, you'll find the story elsewhere.

Thanks for all your comments everyone.

will go on a hunt

glad you got it sorted x