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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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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:

smugmumofboys · 01/05/2015 23:27

I no longer get any days off with sick children so DH will usually stay off as his school is more flexible, we'll share the day or, if it's not something infectious, my childminder will have DC2 who is at primary.

DS1 is at high school and when he was last ill he stayed at home with the phone next to him and DH popped home at lunchtime to check on him.

seventeen · 02/05/2015 06:22

Yes really Redlocks!

Where I am parents get 10 days each and LPs get all 20.

TheFallenMadonna · 02/05/2015 08:12

You need to have this conversation with your husband now. it is not reasonable for you to start a job where absence can have significant effct on the students you teach, thinking you will be the parent taking time off as default.

eltsihT · 02/05/2015 08:20

I got pulled up on a disciplinary when I had to take a day off because ds1 had chickenpox. (I had had 2 other periods of sickness in 12 month period) I was driving him to my parents (120 mile Round trip) as DH was away from home.

Dh works away from home so when he is away I have to organise with my parents who looks after dc when sick as Dh parents both have compromised immune systems. I have also brought my sick child to work and swapped them in the car park with my parents. They kindly did the 120mile round trip that time.

I have also driven to my parents the night before stayed over and then driven to work at stupid o'clock in the morning.

Hope you find something that works for you!

Redlocks28 · 02/05/2015 12:38

Where are you, seventeen?!

Verbena37 · 02/05/2015 12:48

Happy 36......every salaried adult is allowed up to five days off sick without a sick note.your school isn't following the rules.

MrsUltracrepidarian · 02/05/2015 14:00

I have also driven to my parents the night before stayed over and then driven to work at stupid o'clock in the morning.
I did this once (other profession) when I DH & I both had unmissable presentations.
Same the world over, if you have a serious job. If you have a job where not being there doesn't matter, will not be a serious career.
I negotiated a work-at-home, term-time-only with my company as I was quite senior. Would not have contemplated teaching then, for these reasons (cam to teaching when DC in secondary). MY DC as secondary are usually ok at home on their own if they are ill, if it were necessary for me to be there, as supply teacher I would not work that day.

teacherwith2kids · 02/05/2015 14:13

As DH works 60 miles away, whereas I teach locally, I do the 'respond to emergency call' part of sickness. I have never been refused leave to do so, nor has it been docked from my salary.

DH, though much more senior and highly paid than me, does the second day unless there is something critical he has to be there for, because though he has shorter holidays, he has much more flexibility about when to take them. In a real emergency, my mother has been known to drive the couple of hundred miles on day 1 so as to be there for day 2.

To the OP - agree this now, upfront, with your DH, your school and whoever else you use for childcare. I found, when I started training to be a teacher, that it changed the balance of 'how DH and I operated' as parents - I had long holidays but am completely inflexible in term time, so he has had to become much more flexibe in the way he thinks, in the sense that he HAS to take on emergency childcare, be back early if I have e.g. parents' evenings, after school meetings etc. Before I started I was always the 'default carer', who always compromised what i was doing for the children. Since I have become a teacher, it has been much more balanced.

teacherwith2kids · 02/05/2015 14:15

(I am really lucky, because in general my children are quite healthy. DD had a period of migraines, which always came on suddenly and required immediate collection. Luckily, because they are non-infectious, her childminder was prepared to pick her up from school and 'hold' her briefly while supply cover was arranged for me to leave)

Pookamoo · 02/05/2015 14:22

What about Parental Leave?

seventeen · 02/05/2015 14:56

Redlocks I'm in Europe.

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