working mums what do you do when they're poorly?

[rebelmum1]

I'm finding it really difficult, I have had to take lots of unscheduled time off work as holiday. I end up sending dd back to nursery when not 100% I have really dropped my colleagues in it on occasions this year but there are so many contagious things they get and you just can't take them in to nursery when they are sick. My role as a parent is far more important than that of employee and I just want to be there for my child. It stinks. How do others cope?

Its a nightmare. We had this issue when I went back after mat leave. DS was constantly ill for about 7 months so we ended up with a nanny, sounds like we are rich but we worked out that if he was too ill for nursery 1 week a month and someone had to take unpaid leave then the savign of nursery would be completly wiped out. I'm back to work p/t in january but now he's not so little i have some coping tips:
1: its teething - any runny nose, whineyness etc can be blamed on this
2: he has a slight milk allergy - runny nappies can be blamed on this.

sounds like I'm a mean parent but I DO know when he is really ill and then we work something out, however it riles me when some nurseries refuse to take them just cos of a slight upset tummy or sniffle, especially when they get all the bugs FROM nursery!

It would be alot easier if we had backup family around for emergancies though.

thankfully i'm planning on doing supply teaching so i can be flexible to an extent, so yes it will eb me who takes time off. thats the bargain I'm training for a PGCE and doing supply teaching to cover nursery costs and give me experience. DH supports me in my studies and in return I take the main burden of childcare. Once I'm qualified he will take time out to study. we decided on doing it this way round cos like it or not women get far more time off than men re children, plus he was in a more secure job than me so it made sense for me to retrain whilst we had his stable income.

Oh, whoever said that their baby doesn't sleep at nursery - I'd look into this relaly. DS isn't the best sleeper in the world but on his trial visits this week he still mamaged to sleep for 50 minutes one day and 1hr the next day (he has 1hr 30 at home) despite it beign all very very new.

A good nusery will make sure they have quiet time for all children and hlep them go to sleep DS is in the toddler room but after lunch at 12pm light are turned off, low classical music is put on and all 6 kiddies get their mats and blankets out and lie down, any child who doens't go to sleep within 15 minutes is taken to the other end of the room and kept quiet with a book/colouring so not to disturb the sleepers. They ALL sleep! its amazing, i expected to turn up to drop him off at 12.30 and find them half asleep, playing up etc but no 5 little toddlers fast asleep on the mats!
Its the same in the baby room and odler toddlers room except the babies have cots.