child ill short notice off nursery - what do you do?

[sleepinglady]

Hi just looking for ideas of how other people manage..
If you child is too unwell to go to nursery (our nursery says don't come with a temp or D+V, amongst other more serious things obviously).. and you have work that day, and you and other half cannot take time off, who do you get to look after your child?

Family option has not worked out 100 %ok for us on this occasion and just wondering what others do. Not sure there is much choice really and wondering if nanny would be better for us for this reason though we have steered away from this up to now as we wanted DS to mix with other kids and also to avoid hassles of having an employee; and also the fact that nursery is more self-regulatory due to number of people working there, but now beginning to reconsider.

I can only manage because my mum is retired and she comes over and looks after the dc's if they are ill and off nursery or sent home. I would be up shit creek (technical term there ) without her.

Even a nanny can't guarantee having to take time off at short notice as what would you do if the nanny was ill and couldn't care for your child?

Unfortunately this is just one of things you have to deal with as a working parent and one of you have to take time off - no other option. What jobs do you both have that you can't take time off? It may be very inconvenient (isn't it for all parents?) but needs must.

We have no family nearby that can look after our DC so me and DH have no option but one of us staying at home!

We don't have any family around and have to manage between us. Luckily my boss is understanding and allows me to work at home at short notice and if it's more than a day or so my dh can usually take a day off so I can go into the office.

DH works from home if at all feasible, otherwise I don't go to work. My mum will cover longer periods of illness (she took DD for a week when she had chicken pox), but she lives 2 hrs away, so not really a short term solution.

We have no help whatsoever and one of us has to take time off/come home early to take them home - its usually me and not dh and your work suffers - thats the working mum thing for you.

I think that it is just one of the consequences of having children, sometimes they will be ill. I find that it doesnt happen that often. If it does than DH and I will decide whose day at work is least essential and they will take the day off (or we do it in shifts if we both have really important things to go to).

Grandparents - or also my employer pays for a few sessions using myfamilycare.co.uk - so I can get an emergency nanny, usually combined with also working from home.

we have no help locally - it usually works out. Either DH or I take a day off, or if both of us need to be in, we do half and half (one of us works from home in the morning, then the other in the afternoon).

Agree that nannies are not a fail-safe option either. You need to decide who's more likely to get ill, your child or the nanny! And whether you'll be more annoyed staying home with a well child or an ill one.

We have grandparents around but quite reasonably neither set wish to put themselves at risk if one of the children is ill. DS 2 has just had chicken pox and DH and I took it turns to stay home. Couple of interesting conversations re whose job most important that day and not discussing who main breadwinner is! Rather than working from 8.30-5.00. I went in much later and worked late into the evening having come home to sort baths beds and hugs! Know that it is not possible for all jobs. Think probably end up overcompensating at work afterwards due to guilt!

Children not ill often. Usually it is just a tough few days for all involved and back to lovely nursery valueing it all the more!