Teachers... what do you do if your child is unwell?

[Redwineistasty]

And they need to stay off school?!

I’m thinking ahead and just wondering what teachers do? Thanks!

Compare days with DH and decide who stays off. Usually DH, as he can do some work from home. Chicken pox, we sent DD to my mum's for a week.

I ring in and say they're ill and stay home. I'm a single parent. It rarely happens now they are 7 and 10. Loads as babies/toddlers.

matchsticks are they understanding of this?.... I’m hoping it’ll be rare for me too as mine will be 9 and 5 soon after I start.
I’m not a single parent but my dh does work away so he’s not around to do it.

OH looked after them and worked from home, or my mum. Never had a school that would let you have more than a day for emergency cover.

DH stayed home more often than me. Fortunately it was rare (they're 11 now and it's got rarer) but if I needed to I would stay off. The last school I taught in wouldn't pay if you had to have time off to look after a child.

When grandparents were still working, dh usually stayed off and did a bit of work from home. I do remember both Grannies used holidays for certain illnesses, eg the spots stage of chicken pox.

Since my parents retired, it has been so much easier. They love spending time with the kids and take very good care of them.

I did take the odd day and was honest.

Take it in turns with OH to stay at home. Thankfully my head is lovely and I'm not made to feel guilty

My DH covered it. I well recall the morning I asked our school secretary to ring back the secondary school to ask them to ring DH instead of me because our son was puking but I had my class . That was the start of the end ...

I used to teach before becoming a sahm, my DH is a senior Teacher with many responsibilities, and we have no local support network.

If and when I return to teaching one day and my children are ill, I will have no choice but to stay at home and look after them. If my children get as ill as often as I do, then my workplace would get incredibly pissed off with me, but family always come first for me, and school would just have to deal with it.

We get a certain number of paid days per year for care of dependents. I think it might be two. After that it's unpaid. We also have to have a return to work interview if we've been off.

I dread the children getting sick but fortunately it's much less frequent now they're a bit older.

You make it clear that it is both parents' responsibility, and do what you can to share out with least disruption.
You make sure you have a really good CMer who uses common sense and doesn't try to send child home / stop them going to her at first glimpse of 'being under the weather'.
Helps if you have already been working in the school for the longer the better before it happens, so they realise you will a) have done everything you can, and b) you always give 'above and beyond' anyway so they know, overall you are pulling your weight.
Ultimately, if you have to have the odd day, then you have to.

My children aren’t really allowed to be ill! They are healthy types and generally get on with it and I have high barriers for illness (a friend kept her dc off for being off colour and not sleeping well, mine wouldn’t have a cat in hells chance of being off with that). On the few occasions they have needed to be off I’ve had to take an unpaid day.

They sound like great grandparents ella Unfortunately we don't live near any family

Ah bring that sounds rubbish! I hate the feeling of guilt towards both work and home, it's hard to do both jobs well! I think I do a great job at parenting, but I'll be starting my pgce in Sept and I really want to do a great job then too!

argeles that's unfair that you should have to do all of the sick days because your oh is more senior! Would it be the other way around if you were more senior? Is he only more senior because he hasn't had to take time off to have children? It's typical that mums take the default role of being 1st in line care giver.

Thanks back and carrie Unfortunately my husband is in the middle of the north sea for 6 months of the year (off & on), so he'll be no help then, but when he's home he'll be able to do it.
I think I'm pretty tough when they are ill now, they know that they go to school and be sent home, rather than me just keeping them off!
But there are times when they are actually ill!

back I will be looking for child minders soon and yes I will be looking out for a tough one!

Our 'sick' leave days can be taken as either sick or personal days. Generally, if we have to call in because we need to stay home for a child, then we need to spend that day looking for alternative care for any further days. I'm a single parent with no partner or ex to share care with, so unless I'm absolutely on my death bed, I go to work so that I can save the days for DS if needed. I also got to know a few childminders who don't mind a day of childminding of a sick child.

Check your contract. Mine says I have a set number of days for something I just can't remember the word for but includes a sick child or a bereavement. After that it's unpaid leave if dh can't do it.

Compassionate leave.

Take it in turns with DH to take the day off. Not much else we can do.

It's me (teacher) who stays off. Simply because DH is useless when it comes to the caring and nurturing side of parenting.

Also my school are accommodating about it and DH works in the private sector which although has 'allowed' for this, tends not to be the 'in thing' in his line of work and unofficially frowned upon.

It's just easier for us. Plus I have had had more than 5 days off for children's illnesses when I went back after Mat leave due to DS mixing with other kids and they were understanding.

I will add DH is not a teacher - works in a private business.
When it occurs, I simply phone admin in the morning and keep them updated.

I’m a single parent- I just call in and say I have to stay at home, nothing else I can do. I have a great childminder but she looks after little ones in the daytime so won’t take a sick child. Thankfully my kids are pretty tough- so far I’ve had one day off with each of them since Sept.

The down side is I very very rarely take a sick day for myself, I feel I have to save it up just in case. I also very rarely let them stay off, there have been a couple of times this year I sent them off to school knowing they weren’t well, and if it wasn’t for the job I would have kept them off

Sorry only just remembered I'd posted. Yes, they are understanding, particularly as I am almost never off sick myself. I've had to take 3 days off to attend court re contact for the dc and I've been paid for all.

Dh and I are both teachers. I work part time so I hope they’re only ill on certain days. Honestly? I dose them up and send them in...

Same as @egginacup I've sent DS in when I know he's not well :(

Can’t believe all the teachers here who send their kids into school when they know they’re not well? You guys should know better than anyone how much illnesses spread in a classroom. How unfair is that on your child, the other children and their parents. Would you not judge a parent who had sent their child into school unwell and dosed up? Shocking!!

Quite ironing isn’t it looney.... and bonkers!