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Original poster

What do you do when your own kids are sick?

36 replies

MissOutstanding · 30/04/2015 19:40

I am going to start my Schools Direct training as a secondary mfl teacher in September - eek! (name changed, I am a regular mnetter but my work doesn't know yet that I will be leaving).
At the moment I am trying to work out the practicalities of full time work. I have a dd in primary school, and before and after school care is sorted, but what do you do if your child is sick? I have no family nearby to help.
Thanks for any pointers!

OP posts:
MrsUltracrepidarian · 30/04/2015 19:49

You need to sort illness cover too. School will usually allow you half a day, or one day in an emergency (unpaid) but expect you to have backup thereafter - so your DH will have to pitch in.

HagOtheNorth · 30/04/2015 19:52

What Mrs said, schools are generally very unsympathetic if your child is ill and will expect you to have sorted out cover before you need it.
Half a day, or a day at most as emergency cover, then you'll be expected back.

spanieleyes · 30/04/2015 20:10

Mine weren't allowed to be sick during term times!

Hottypotty · 30/04/2015 20:15

dh and I share the responsibility for having to take the occasional day off unpaid if we can't find anyone else to have the children.
I feel terrible as I have made the kids go to school /nursery when they probably would have benefited from day off (only colds, temperatures etc-I go by the book for d&v) but it's a lot of money to lose and really disrupts work.

beatricequimby · 30/04/2015 20:19

It's very difficult. I have never known any teacher take more than one day off for any single period of child illness unless the child is in hospital. People i know rely on partners and relatives but it is one of the reasons that i have found teaching fulltime difficult.

MrsUltracrepidarian · 30/04/2015 20:27

But just like any other full time job. When my DC were small I had a very demanding job (not teaching then) and was endlessly negotiating with DH as to who had the most un-missable meeting.

Hottypotty · 30/04/2015 21:20

Yy-I have inlaws nearby but they have full time jobs too so it's often a 4 way negotiating act between us all.
I'm not sure what 'illness cover' can consist of really as you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who would take a vomiting or infectious child surely?

seventeen · 30/04/2015 21:21

If my child is sick I stay off school.

My school has never had a problem with this.

pieceofpurplesky · 30/04/2015 21:22

Sick kids = no pay.
ExH when asked to look after vomiting child replied with the classic'if you can let me know in advance that he will be off I may be able to arrange something'!!

Brandysnapper · 30/04/2015 21:24

I've always been paid when off with a sick child. We take it in turns so it reduces the amount of time, but when something like chickenpox strikes you've got no choice. I have always been paid. There are a certain number of days in my contract. However, they are supposed to be to arrange emergency childcare, but realistically no one hires a "sickness nanny", how would that work??

Brandysnapper · 30/04/2015 21:26

Are you a single parent btw? If not, make sure the child's father does their turn! Good luck with the training Smile

seventeen · 30/04/2015 21:28

I get 20 days paid child-related sickness a year. Golden!

defineme · 30/04/2015 21:36

Dh's head has been fine about the odd day off, but he has that rare thing- a sane smt who appreciate hard workers. I can think of loads of teachers who have had to have more than the odd day off with sick kids, but I also know hods who advise their faculty to call in as sick themselves rather than say it's for dc as smt will ask why they can't get their dp to do it. I think it really depends on the ethos of the school.

primarywannabe · 30/04/2015 21:41

My school are fine about it, but I never take the piss. I think it varies, like any other job. Agree that both parents must take a turn.

TheReluctantCountess · 30/04/2015 21:44

My dp stays at home if our son is ill. It means losing a day's pay for him, but it's just not worth the hassle for me to be off.

Original poster
MissOutstanding · 01/05/2015 12:20

Hm, food for thought.
I haven't actually got my contract yet, so we'll see what's in there.
Dh is the main breadwinner, so it makes more sense for me to take a day off financially.
I will also ask the childminder I have in mind if she might take a sick child!

OP posts:
MaraThonbar · 01/05/2015 13:51

On a related note, check the attendance conditions of your SD course; there will be a minimum attendance requirement and you won't be able to achieve QTS if you miss it.

MsDran · 01/05/2015 15:04

My school is fine with parents (mums and dads) taking a few days off a year for sick children. Those of us whose children attend school tend to dose them up with Calpol in the morning and give another dose at lunchtime. When that doesn't work I tend to take the first day off and DH can normally work from home if he has a days notice. One of my friends works in a school less sympathetic so when her DCs are ill she phones in sick herself.

Happy36 · 01/05/2015 17:18

My school doesn't allow any absence without a doctor's note, apart from with advance notice and then it's unpaid, so if our children are sick they have to stay at home with my husband or his parents.

Happy36 · 01/05/2015 17:21

When our daughter was at nursery the nursery had a Fb group so you could see who else was ill that day and then potentially share childcare e.g. half a day each. Also the nursery had a list if their own temp staff who you could call for last minute childcare. We didn't use it that much but friends found it really helpful.

redspottydress · 01/05/2015 18:32

Teaching is not a very family friendly job in many ways.

Brandysnapper · 01/05/2015 18:39

Dh is the main breadwinner, so it makes more sense for me to take a day off financially
Unless you are doing it unpaid, please don't do this. Your employers are entitled to expect that you make every effort to attend work - it suggests your job doesn't matter that much if it's ok for you to miss it but not him!
I would expect some time off to be paid. Some posters on here really need to join a union, your contracts sound extreme.
Our doctors wouldn't give a fit note for less than a week's absence, so if I had to have one I'd need to be off for longer!

YawnyMcYawn · 01/05/2015 18:46

I think it depends on the local authority you work for. I can take up to 5 days paid emergency over a year, each day is for the first day of illness to give me a change to find child care. I reality, that means I take more time off than DH, who takes annual leave/works from home to cover second and subsequent days as mine are hardly ever ill and when they are, it's usually just for the day. I'd have less time off if they let me use my common sense and take turns with DH but I expect they need a 'blanket' rule for everyone.

A long time ago, a fantastic Head told me to ring in sick if I needed time for the kids, but to turn when I was under the weather myself unless I was at death's door. That was before we were entitled to the 5 days though.

pieceofpurplesky · 01/05/2015 19:12

In my school we get no pay if off with sick children - unless you can get in by 10am of that day ... So essentially a couple of hours to sort out kids.

Redlocks28 · 01/05/2015 23:20

I get 20 days paid child-related sickness a year. Golden!

Really??!