Out of interest, for working parents - if your DC is ill and has to be collected.....

[fishnet]

how often is it the mum who has to take the time off?

Just wondered. Sorry if its been done to death before

[Milliways]

100% me.

When DS was long term ill I drafted in the Grannies! When DH gets home he brings his office with him

[Fennel]

It would be 50:50 for us though I can't remember it happening in school, it used to happen in nursery occasionally.

[OrmIrian]

Mostly me. But I work 5 mins from school and I can work from home if need be. DH is self-employed so can take more time off but it costs us a lot when he does that and once he's at work it normally takes him quite a long time to get home again.

[hana]

would me me as dh works in central london and I'm closer to dds (geographicall when I'm working) although dh has taken tiime off to look after sick dds so I can work.

[Marina]

60/40 me, but that is because we try to work on the basis that whoever would have done the pickup that day anyway downs tools
Conversely, if they are chundering at dawn, then it is 60/40 dh as he does more drops than I do
so, er, that would make it 50/50 overall then
We both WOTH full-time but as I am the boss of me and several others and he isn't, I have the machiavellianism managerial scope to run my department flexibly to benefit all team members in this sort of situation - and that includes the childless ones with ailing boilers or hobbling parents

[HuwEdwards]

Generally me as I work from home, but if DP was woring from home, he'd do it.

[Lazycow]

Well it all depends really.

Dh works from home 2-3 days a week but on the other days is over 2 hrs away. On the other hand I work 5 mins from the nursery on 3 days a week (used to be 4) and dh doesn't drive, so an early pick up for illness would be done by whoever was most available and had least work/important meetings on.

As dh works in education he has much more available time over the summer. He still works every day but can be much more flexible as he has fewer meetings and no teaching so in those periods he tends to do more illness cover on the days I work.

On the whole it varies from 70:30 to me in the parts of the year that dh is more busy (eg Autumn - start of year and early Spring Summer when he has a lot of exam boards)and 70:30 to him during the summer and in more slack times for him.

Probably evens out to 50:50 overall.

[flatmouse]

Usually me, as i have the flexibility that i can work from home. If DH has to take time at home to look after sick DC he looses pay. Occasionally i can't, so he does.

We are fortunate tho that often Grandma will help out.

[TigerFeet]

Pretty much always me

My job is far more flexible than dh's - he is often away.

He does it when he can but it is rare for him to be able to

I don't mind tbh - I hate being at work when dd is ill.