Who looks after your dcs when you are ill?

[MrTumblesCrackWhore]

I'm just recovering from a really nasty virus and have been bedridden since the weekend. I could not have looked after my 2 dcs - besides avoiding giving them it too- I was delirious and constantly being sick.

We are lucky enough to have been able to enlist our live out nanny for an extra day to cover my illness but it makes me shudder to think what I would do if she couldn't have helped out- dh works away alot during the week and I have no family nearby.

This got me thinking...what happens when the only available parent is too sick to look after their dcs? Is there a mechanism in social services in place to help out?

Hallelujah. Just coming out of this fog of illness. Virus has left me with labyrinthitis though so feel like I'm walking on a badly listing boat all the time.

The other thing that occurred to me is how many offers of help you routinely get when people find out you're poorly are actually genuine. Maybe I'm just a miseryguts but I hate that "let me know if there's anything I can do" when all you really want is for them to bundle the kids off to an undisclosed location. And you know that ain't never gonna happen. The only useful offer has been from someone I don't know that well, who said she couldn't help out with childcare for dd2 as she is only a baby and doesn't feel confident enough, but could she take ds1 off to a play centre for a few hours. Now that's a good offer.

Me

me i'm afraid, had a lovely bout of swine flu and dd had to manage alot on her own, i got her meals. she watched alot of dvd's.

Me

Me, DH, DSis or DMIL, if not a nursery day. Thank god I have some back up.

Piratecat - I had a bout of swine flu too. I had a bf 4 month old. DD was 8 andrade me endless amounts of tea while I slept on the bed with the baby. I don't even remember feeding him but I must have. She changed his nappies and played with him bless her.

charlie, you poor love, what a star your dd was. I was out of it for weeks.