Going back to work next week - how do you deal with nursery bugs?

[bananasinabowl]

I’m going back to work after maternity next week. I’m working 3 days a week. My DC started nursery 4 weeks ago and has already caught a tummy bug, colds and this week was the first week she was supposed to do full days but has caught a nasty virus and has been off.

How do I deal with this when going back to work? I have accrued lots of holidays. Do I speak to my manager as what he expects when my dependent if off sick?

My husband is a contractor so doesn’t get paid but could cover some days.

what type of work do you do? At my work it’s expected the first winter after maternity and we still get paid, but are expected to do as much as possible from home (eg in evening when DH gets home and when baby is asleep).

Can you wfh? It’s rough but not much you can do. Just have to try and get through it as best you can.

This time of year is usually the worst. I ended up in the early stages of disciplinary at work last November because we all came down with one thing after another and absence was just unavoidable. It gets better once winter is over. Until then you just have to power through it really.

So do I just email my manager in the morning that I need time off for dependent and hope he approves it? What if he doesn’t? What if DC is poorly weekly?

When do nursery bugs “get better”?

At my work it’s expected that it’s shared with DH, they wouldn’t be impressed if I did the majority. I message as soon as I know DC is off sick and let them know my plan. I use annual leave, unpaid leave or make up the time.

Write off the first winter of nursery, it’s hell! We used a mix of annual leave / dependents leave and unpaid leave to cover us. Hoping second winter isn’t as brutal 🤞🏻 Similar position with DH being a contractor so it mostly fell to me to take the hit.

Fortunately my work are very understanding (they sent me home twice after we had been at the hospital with DD till 4/5am and I still went into work) I very occasionally logged on in the evening if I knew there was something that couldn’t wait or be handed over as the colleague guilt ran rampant 🥴

I was quite senior when I was in this position so I just WFH / took the time off as needed but I worked a LOT of late nights to keep everything moving and my mum / MIL would step in if I had important meeting etc.
I have twins so twice the bugs!!
I also worked 3 days a week for my own sanity as it was just too much for me and I couldn't afford two sets of nursery fees back then.

It is brutal I'm afraid, just accept it will be difficult and it will get better.

Also I caught the worst bugs from them for the first year after ML. I seemed to get them worse than they did, I have never been so ill but luckily they tended to be 24/48 hours things.

Appreciate my experience is worse due to having had two toddlers at nursery. They're teens now. I wouldn't change it for anything!

Good luck OP, it's great you're going back to work and you have a great balance doing 3 days. All will be good!